The Smoldering Seminary
1895 The new year brought a great loss to the village in the destruction of the Lutheran Seminary building by fire on January 11, 1895. It was a severely cold, windy disagreeable day and the … Read more
Month: August 2017
Ice and Fire
1894 In January people in Robbinsdale were advised to arm themselves when traveling on Crystal Lake Avenue to Minneapolis after dark, after B.J. Browning had been held up by robbers while returning home after selling … Read more
Girling Gets Things Going
1893 Thomas H. Girling, born in England in 1865, had considerable impact as a publisher and civic leader in Robbinsdale. He had learned the printing business and in February, 1893, started publishing the weekly “Picturesque … Read more
Robbinsdale Park Additions
1892 At this time our area of Crystal Village seemed to be referred to as Robbinsdale Park because the platted areas were named A. B. Robbins First Addition to Robbinsdale Park,” “Brimhall’s First Addition to … Read more
Good Old Gus
1891 Mr. Robbins was interested in attracting people to the village and in order to make it more convenient for those who might live here and continue to carry on business in the city, he … Read more
Progress in Robbinsdale Park
Trumps, Parker School, a 23-room Hotel, and Bustling Businesses The year 1890 was a busy one for the Robbinsdale area. John A. Trump built a general merchandise store where the Twin City Federal Savings and … Read more
Our Little Boomtown
1889 Mr. Robbins’ second business in Robbinsdale was a street car factory. It was near the car barn on Hubbard Avenue. The new factory began work on October 15, 1889, and by December 19, … Read more
Haakon and the Village Hall
1888 The late 1880’s were busy ones for this area. Haakon Christensen, born in Oslo, Norway, in 1859, first visited Robbinsdale to attend the laying of the cornerstone of the Seminary. He returned shortly after, … Read more
The Village of Crystal
1887 In 1886 Minneapolis made an effort to annex all bordering townships to secure more taxable property and money for improvements and perhaps to outclass St. Paul in population. At once, the people of Crystal … Read more