Robbinsdale was Someplace Else

1967

The Crystal Lake Water Study Committee was appointed by the City
Council to study the problems of Crystal Lake which, by now, was considered a “dead” lake. Frank Litherland was elected chairman. Others on the committee were Earl T. Hiller, alderman; Mrs. Riley Blodgett and Mrs. Mark Woodward, representing the League of Women Voters; Rev. George Macauley, of the First Congeregational Church; and Bill Engler and Ed Horsmann, of the Robbinsdale Sportsman’s Club. A lake consultant, Don Daugs, was hired to study soil, water, fish population and winter kill, 02 and C02 levels, cattail and algae treatment, etc. The algae was treated chemically with copper sulfate and the cattails were cut. Thus began the restoration of Crystal Lake. Hennepin County had begun a program to assist financially the ailing lakes and Robbinsdale applied for, and received, assistance.

Someplace Else opened as an adult night club on March 22, 1967. Robbinsdale’s  municipal liquor laws prohibited alcohol sales. provided set-ups and patrons brought their own liquor. Owners, Ralph L. Reiter, Annette Flaherty and her husband John Flaherty had hoped that the Robbinsdale City council would allow the club to provided set-ups and patrons brought their own liquor. They spent $60,000 dollars remodeling Robin Lanes. The council allowed a permit to serve 3.2 beer, but denied the set up permit. To avoid going broke Someplace Else reinvented itself as a Teen Club open to kids ages 16-20. You can see more pictures read an extensive history of Someplace Else and hundreds of other area music venues at Twin Cities Music Highlights.

The new City Council took office with Charles 0. Wallace returning as Mayor and Earle T. Hiller, John (Joe) Johnson, Z. Joseph Bauer and Verl Weaver as Aldermen. Peter Ruffenach was appointed to be City Attorney and Laura Bloedow to be City Clerk.  Weaver remembers the Council beginning to tackle the Dutch Elm disease problem. Rolf Nelson, a Robbinsdale lawyer, became State Representative in our legislative district, then called 31B, and beginning in 1971, served four years as State Senator. In April, Elsie Billmyre, age 79, died a month after her husband, H. P. Billmyre. Both had been longtime active Robbinsdale residents. On April 21, Dr. Henry Hartig, former président of the Robbinsdale Board of Education, died. He had also served two terms on the Crystal City Council while living in Crystal.

In July, Roger Fawcett, son of Capt. Billy Fawcett who founded Fawcett Publications, came to Robbinsdale to take part in the Fourth of July “Whiz Bang” days, formerly called the Good Will Days.

In November, the high school athletic field on 36th Avenue near Highway 100 was officially named “Milo M. Mielke Field” to honor the high school principal, Milo Mielke.

This post is part of a series loosely based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodgett. A late 60’s postcard of North Memorial Hospital is featured  at the top of the post.