The Big Time City Band

Tracing its roots back to 1906 when the village fathers accepted a proposal to form a band, the Robbinsdale City Band has become the most widely known civic-sponsored musical organization in the Upper Midwest. Its … Read more

Book Impersonations

    LIBRARY CLUB GUESTS DEPICT BOOK TITLES May 19, 1915 – Names of books were impersonated at the book party of the Robbinsdale Library Club, Wednesday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George … Read more

Gratia Alta Countryman, No Ordinary Librarian

We of the Robbinsdale Historical Society have always been fond of libraries (especially since our museum lives in one). But did you know that a nationally-known librarian figures into our story? Her name is Gratia … Read more

Growing the Library

1960 Census: 16,381 (a 45% increase since 1950) The decade of the sixties included a new bank, filtration plants, the revival of Crystal Lake, the formation of the Housing Authority and another school because of … Read more

Library Club Ladies

1907 To support the Library Board, the Library Club was organized on January 3, 1907, with 26 members. Mrs. C. W. G. Hyde was first president. At that time books were available from 9 to … 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

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

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