Robbinsdale Historical Society
Sharing Your Past To Build Our Future
Let’s tell the tale of Captain Billy Fawcett, whose unlikely publishing empire began in Robbinsdale and eventually reached national and international prominence. Born Wilford Hamilton Fawcett in Canada in 1885, Fawcett was restless from an … Read more
Robbinsdale’s early history with alcohol was shaped by its location just outside Minneapolis. When Minneapolis closed its saloons on Sundays in 1905, crowds poured into Robbinsdale, turning the village into a destination for drinking and … Read more
1927 On January 8th, a hanger caught fire and burned six planes at the Robbinsdale Airport. Volunteer firemen were called out from Robbinsdale and Crystal Village. Damages were estimated at $25,000. Lack of a … Read more
1920 Census 1,369—a 79% increase since 1910 The decade of the “twenties” is remembered by many as the very best decade of their lives. The war to end wars was over and times were booming … Read more
1919 The Security Bank was incorporated December 16, 1918, opening for business January 16, 1919, in the same one-story building which had housed its predecessors, two banks which were once described by Mrs. Stillman as … Read more
1880 The first railroad through the community was called the Minneapolis Branch of the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad , later the Great Northern Railroad Company. In 1880 a flag station was established, merely … Read more
Robbinsdale’s historical connection to Breezy Point, Minnesota dates back to the days of Whiz Bang. In 1919, Wilford Hamilton Fawcett, better known as “Captain Billy,” published the first issue of Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang. Filled … Read more
“Robbinsdale’s brick sky scraper, where three million readers all over the United States look to find their jokes, love stories and blood curdling adventure yarns in the three magazines published here- Whiz Bang, True … Read more
Introduction Robbinsdale was named for entrepreneur, politician, and real estate developer Andrew Bonney Robbins. While serving in the Minnesota State Senate, Robbins often passed through the area just north of Minneapolis by train. He was … Read more