Robbinsdale Historical Society
Sharing Your Past To Build Our Future
1956 On Friday, January 6, the Robbinsdale Recreation and Fire Departments arranged a Christmas Tree Bonfire at Lee School. This was before burning was banned in the late 1960’s. The children brought Christmas trees from … Read more
1955 Easy to Shop… Easy to Park… Robin Center Hits the Mark! This year, Robin Center, a large addition to shopping facilities, opened. The swamp had been considered “unbuildable” and had reverted to the state … Read more
1954 The old Village Hall, built in 1888, on West Broadway was torn down to make room for the parking lot which was needed if the Red Owl store was to be established. Robbinsdale needed … Read more
1953 In March, more than 200 Robbinsdale residents met at the Fire and Police Station Auditorium to form the Robbinsdale Taxpayers Association after the valuations on their homes had jumped 29% to 35%. Thomas Christensen, … Read more
1952 In July, 20 year old JoAnn Melberg (pictured above courtesy of Sheldon Smith), the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Minnesota and Robbinsdale’s Queen of the Lakes candidate was crowned as … Read more
1951 The Terrace Theatre opened on May 25th, 1951. The Mid-Century Modern building designed by the architectural firm of Liebenberg & Kaplan, for movie house owners, Sydney and William Volk, won national acclaim from newspapers, … Read more
1950 Census: 11,289 (an 87.6% increase since 1940) The decade of the 1950’s was busy. World War II was over. School activities were fun for all the new parents. In April, the City Council reapportioned … Read more
1949 In February, a PTA was organized at Lee School with Mrs. James Walker as the first president. A card party, a KSTP Barn Dance at the high school, a square dancing party, paper sales, … Read more
1948 The new Lee Elementary School opened in the fall of 1948, with Mr 0. B. Aftreth as its first principal. Over the next 28 years the war babies and the post-war baby boom were … Read more