At the turn of the century Andrew B. Robbins decided to retire from public office and apply his political skills in a house full of young, unmarried daughters surrounded by a yard of suitors. In 1901, his eldest, Edith (above) was 30, Amy was 23, Adelaide was 20, sister Ruth turned 15 and his youngest, Esther was 12. Edith, Ruth and Esther had brown hair and brown eyes. Adelaide and Amy had heavy blonde hair and big blue eyes. Their braids reached below their waists. All the girls went to the University of Minnesota. Amy and Edith graduated with masters degrees.
In June of 1903, Adelaide was the first to marry. Amy, Ruth and Edith were married in 1907. The weddings held at the Robbins home were elaborate affairs. Society papers reported that the dirt streets of the village were sprinkled with water to keep the dust down before wedding parties passed through. Esther married William Wright Scott on the twenty-fifth day of April. in 1911. The performance [was to be] at high noon …in the music room where a chancel was formed in palms, white roses and huge cathedral candles. Little Lewis Robbins Gillette, a nephew of Esther’s was to be the ring bearer. After the ceremony a reception for 400 was held in The Orchards as the Robbins’ home was known at the time.
Robbins continued to hold court at his estate on Twin Lake until he passed away in the summer of 1910. The will of Andrew B. Robbins made his wife and his daughter, Edith Robbins Daniel, joint executors of his estate. The women had been active participants in his many allied business interests. His eldest daughter found her life’s work in carrying forward her father’s plans for developing Robbinsdale. In 1911 the same year Esther was married, she went into real estate with her sister, Amy Robbins Ware. Dozens of Robbinsdale homes were erected and sold under their supervision. Daniel also taught in Robbinsdale’s Schools and served on the school board for twenty-five years.
