The Robbinsdale Depot

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

Anton Wolf’s Hotel

1870 The population of Crystal Lake township was 718. Besides farming, a few industries developed. The first was a shingle mill at Shingle Creek, built in 1852 (everyone needed shingles!) and then a flour mill … Read more

A School on the Stillman Farm

1865 After the Civil War ended and the military reservation was reduced, the settlement of Minneapolis, Crystal Lake, and other towns developed rapidly. The first school for District No. 24 was built in 1865 was … Read more

The Brooklyn-Crystal Cemetery

1863 In all pioneer communities there comes a time when people decide to bury their loved ones in an official cemetery — rather than under a favorite tree on the home farm. On November 20, … Read more