Robbinsdale Historical Society
Sharing Your Past To Build Our Future
In the middle of the last century Robbinsdale was the only area suburb with a high school and West Broadway was the only shopping district between Minneapolis and Osseo. In 1961 more than 21,000 were enrolled in the Robbinsdale School District and homecoming was a big event! Mayor Walter J.(Red) Sochacki, who spent many years as the Robbinsdale High School Football and Basketball coach, brought the parade downtown.The tradition held for several decades.
After partaking in twenty battles, being captured by the enemy and wounded twice, Civil War veteran, Jay E. Nash found his way to Minnesota from Massachusetts in 1869. He purchased forty acres on the east … Read more
Here’s a an old photo of Adolph’s Bar on West Broadway. Flo Ann (Jullie) Tauber’s husband opened the bar before the war, but Flo was probably running the place when this photo was taken. She … Read more
Donald G. Colp was born in Nova Scotia . He graduated from Yale’s Divinity School in 1897 and went on to study at Carleton College in Northfield before he became pastor of the First … Read more
During World War II, a billboard was erected on West Broadway to honor American Armed Forces overseas. The names of Robbinsdale’s own were place under blue and gold stars. A gold star indicated the soldier … Read more
The morning of November 11th, 1940 brought with it unseasonably high temperatures. By early afternoon temperatures soared into the 60s. Less than 24 hours later, an intense low pressure system had tracked from the southern … Read more
When this photo was taken about 1926, the three story Security Bank Building in downtown Robbinsdale was one of the tallest buildings outside downtown Minneapolis.
Robbinsdale had its first annual Good Will Day celebration and parade in 1936. Planners included William J. Mueller, Willard Randall, Frank Hollsten, H.P. Billmyre, William Ambrose, Jess Anderson, Tom Howard, Hess Linderholm, Ivan Wagner, … Read more
Nathan Russ moved to Robbinsdale after the Civil War. He owned a small farm near Lake Road and Lake Drive. Mr. Russ was the Village Recorder for many years, but he lost the election of … Read more