1938
Many complaints had been received by the Council about the water quality (which was being obtained from Minneapolis) so the Village purchased land from Mrs. Edith Robbins Daniel for $18,000 on July 12, 1937, at 41st and Hubbard. Mass meetings were held and on August 14, 1936, the Village Council (Oscar Johnson, Hess Linderholm, Wm. Ambrose, Charles Wallace and William Kranz) voted unanimously to install a well and water tank. Work began on October 18,1937.
On August 27 and 28, the new and first Water Tower was dedicated in conjunction with the second annual Good Will Day celebration, which included a Kangaroo Court, Fifty Vaudeville Acts, a Diamondball game, water fights between Fire Departments from Columbia Heights, Osseo, Anoka, Excelsior and Robbinsdale. The Goodwill Parade featured bands and floats. Marshalls ineluded G Timrner, Walter Sipe, Adolph Jullie Howard Hommes, Leo Brandt and Charles Wallace. It was sponsored by the Robbinsdale Volunteer “Fire Department. As Robbinsdale developed, another well was needed. In 1943, the War Production Board granted permission for another well near North Memorial Hospital, now called Well No. 3. In 1945, Well No. 2 was dug next to Well No. 1 near the first Water Tower. Because of burgeoning population after World War II, a fourth well was drilled at 38th and Scott in 1954, and another at Drew and Lowry in 1956. A second Water Tower (500,000-gallon capacity) was completed in 1957 and numerous dead-end mains were looped. This second Water Tower was needed, not only to supply more water to the southern part of Robbinsdale, but to improve water pressure.
A charter commission had been at work for a long time drawing up a
Charter for the village. On November 7, 1938, the vote to change from a village to a City was carried. On December 8, 1938, at 8:00 p.m. the new charter was officially adopted and the City of Robbinsdale was born. During the forty-five years of its history as a village, Robbinsdale was served by many presidents of the village boards; from the days of A. B. Robbins in 1893, to William G. Kranz in 1938, the last to serve. Now the title is Mayor. Besides these two, the following have served: T. H. Girling, John W. Hayes, E. Kirkwood, Gus Urban, Henry Scott, Fred Webb, Charles Schuller, George 0. Johnson, A. W. Hawkins, W. H. Johnson, William Saunders, T. P. Howard, Henry Uglem, Hervey Morse, Willard Randall, Clyde Burfeind and T. A. MacKenzie. Robbinsdale became a City at special exercises at City Hall that evening. Alderman William R. Ambrose arranged the program that marked the death of the old Village and birth of a new City. Election of new city officers was scheduled for the following Tuesday, December 13, 1938. J. W. Roche became the first Mayor of the City of Robbinsdale. The officers at the turning point from Village to City were William G. Kranz, President; W. R. Ambrose, J. E. Anderson, G. H. [Don] Johnson, and Hess Linderholm, Trustees; Charles 0. Wallace, Clerk; and J. M. Kudrna, Treasurer. Other officials included Justices of the Peace, Victor Hanson and H. P. Billmyre; and police officers, Matt Spurzem, Fred Rosenow, and John Bloberger, Jr. John Bloberger, Sr. was Fire Marshall. The September 30, 1938, Minneapolis Tribune reported the City Council on September 19 had approved the new Home Rule Charter as presented by Ralph F. Peterson, chairman of the Charter Commission. Thus, the Village Council President became known as the Mayor and Trustees, as AIdermen.
The Robin Theatre was remodeled under the management of Clyde Cutter and Paul Manns. A new canopy and large electric sign were erected. New restrooms for men and women and a new ticket office were listed as other improvements. December 2, 9, and 16 the Robin Theater presented its first cooking school, conducted by Miss Anne Louise Olson of the Spry Research Kitchens. Many prizes were given: three jars of cold cream by Muellers Pharmacy, one ton black-onyx coal by Howard Lumber, six-month’s pass from Robin Theater, three pair ladies hose (silk in those days.—Ed.) from Elmquist Shoe Store, fifteen bags of groceries by Clasen Grocery, and Excell Cooker by Sessing Hardware Company, three merchandise prizes from Braun’s Bakery, and a G.E. Electric roaster Schuller’s Shoes. Admission was 20 cents.
This post is part of a series loosely based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodget.