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
(until the stock market crash in 1929). Many got their first radios. Model
“T’s” were replacing horses and the “flappers” were in style—and short dresses for the first time in history, we think The Charleston was the popular dance; and women “bobbed” their hair, thus no longer needing to brush it 100 strokes every day. Gas stoves were replacing the old iron wood stoves. and gas furnaces began replacing coal furnaces.
Robbinsdale had an unprecedented building boom and by 1930 its population had increased 223% to 4,427. Robbinsdale also got a public water supply. Times were looking up and people thought it would last forever.
The Robbinsdale Airport opened in 1920. The facility played hot to a variety of aviation entertainments including barnstorming, parachute jumping exhibitions. The airport’s grass runway stretched from Fairfax Avenue to 44th Avenue North. The field and hangers were just east of West Broadway.
In March, T. P. Howard was elected president President of the Village Council.
The American Legion Auxiliary to Westphal Post #251 was organized with 31 charter members, August 6, 1920, with Mrs. F. R. Stinchfield serving as first president. Its purpose was to aid the Post in serving the disabled comrades and in caring for the needy children of veterans; to assist in community activities, especially along the lines of youth and health activities.
It also sponsored Girl Scout Troops, Scholarship medals, Garden Clubs for school children, essay contests, sewing for veterans and their families and the hospital, selling articles made by disabled veterans—all have been part of the program from the beginning to the present.
An early paper tells about the Sunday night supper served to 135 disabled men at Asbury Hospital. Hospital visiting was carried on, too, from the beginning, first at Asbury, later at Ft. Snelling. Mrs. L. I. Nasett and Mrs. Lena CIasen were the first hospital visitors, with Mrs. T. P. Howard active there for many years, first as a visitor, then as State Chairman. National honors came to the Unit in 1933 when Miss Elizabeth Youssi won the State and National Essay Awards, a $200 scholarship prize, in an essay contest sponsored by the unit. Perhaps the most ambitious undertaking of the local post and unit was the Tenth District Convention held June 19 and 20, 1937. Mrs. Frank P. Hosterman was co-chairman and P. J. Connoy and Henry Hartig were official greeters. Early meetings were held at the Robbinsdale City Hall.
At the Auxiliary’s First National Convention, November 1, 1921, the poppy was selected as the Memorial Flower and the women of the Auxiliary have “sold poppies (made by the veterans in the hospital) every year around Memorial Day to raise money for projects to help the disabled veterans, and every year the Auxiliary joins the Legion in Memorial Day services and in services at several cemeteries and in putting flags on veterans’ graves.
An active Junior Auxiliary for young daughters of Legion members was organized by Mrs. William [Agnes) Kranz in 1932. They made tray favors for hospitalized veterans and dressed dolls for needy children at Christmas.
During the depression years in the 30’s, the Auxiliary pledged one hundred or more glasses of jam and jelly for the Veterans Hospital and a canning project conducted by the president, Mrs. F. P. (Bea) Hosterman, furnished 1600 cans of tomatoes and 400 cans of apples for distribution to needy families. The auxiliary also bought an artificial eye for a five- year-old. The Auxiliary sponsored a Giri Scout Troop, eventually two troops. Mrs. Henry (Dorothy) Hartig was troop leader for many years. Then Mrs. John C. (Bertha) Smith took over. She later became Tenth District President.
This post is part of a series loosely based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodget. The image at the top of the post features Hommes Motors on the eastside West Broadway and the Blacksmith shop at WestBroadway and 42nd.