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

During the Dakota War

1862 Following a cold spring in 1861, hard times came along. The Dakota War of ’62 did not affect the settlers here except to make them nervous. Horartio Stillman bundled his family into his wagon … Read more

Fighting for the Union!

1861 The year following the organization of the township, the Civil War commenced. The town paid no bounties, but furnished its quota of men. In the Hennepin County “Roster of Military Men” are many familiar … Read more

The offices were soon filled…

1860 In 1857 a State Constitution was ratified by the people and on May 11, 1858, Minnesota was admitted into the Union by an Act of Congress”, the 32nd State. The population in 1857 was … Read more

Shumway

1855 Mr. John P. Shumway, a native of Connecticut. took a claim in 1855 in Wright County, cleared five acres, and erected a bark shanty. Working without a team, he put in a small crop, … Read more

Uneventful and Prosaic

1853 In January, 1853, the county Commissioners created the School Districts in Hennepin County. District # 1 was located in the village of Minneapolis, District #2 included nearly the whole northern section of the county. … Read more

Robbinsdale Then and Now

1852 On January 1, 1852, the Third Territorial Legislative Assembly created Hennepin County and a map filed at the Surveyor General’s office on, February 27, 1854, shows we belonged to Township No. 29 N., Range … Read more