During the Dakota War
1862 Following a cold spring in 1861, hard times came along. The Dakota War of ’62 did not affect the settlers here except to make them nervous. Horartio Stillman bundled his family into his wagon … Read more
West Broadway
A Swift Postcard
Born in Boston in 1848, George Swift came to Minnesota with his parents. At the age of 13, Swift enlisted as a drummer boy at Fort Snelling. During the War Between the States … Read more
More Than Just a Barber!
O.T. (Otto) Beaudoin, pictured here with Frank Dillenberg in 1937, was born in Quebec in 1871. He came to Robbinsdale in 1927. Beaudoin operated two barbershops in town and was in business for over thirty … Read more
Princess, His Bride
A gay young prince of the house of Hapsburg brought a gold leaf console table out of the palace of a swarthy Florentine doge 500 years ago and sent it on the backs of the … Read more
Our Old Village Hall
Robbinsdale’s Village Hall was originally built for the Village of Crystal in 1888. The dedication ceremonies included a banquet with foods furnished by everyone in town. Forty-seven years later Mrs. Horatio Stillman still remembered the … Read more
A Blacksmith on the Corner
The late 1880s were busy wins for this area. Haakon Christensen ( Pictured above with his son George) was born in Oslo Norway in 1859. He first visited Robbinsdale to attend the laying of … Read more
The September Membership Meeting is Someplace Else
We have arranged for the former owners of the Someplace Else Nightclub, Annette and John Flaherty to bring their memories to our next Membership Meeting on September 22nd. Annette and John visited the museum a couple … Read more
The Crystal Theater
In 1916 William J. Muller opened his first drug store in a little wooden building next door to Gus Urban’s Meat Market. Ten years later, he built a new brick front drug store and the … Read more
Bofferding’s Point
For at least a generation a little tavern on the edge of Crystal Lake greeted folks on the way into Robbinsdale’s business district. I’m not sure where they put the band, but the little place … Read more