Robbinsdale Revisited

Episode 15: Kathryn Leigh Scott grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale when the city still felt rural, shaped by Norwegian immigrant parents, strong community values, and an early encouragement of creativity. At Robbinsdale High School, her talents in writing and performance stood out, setting the stage for a leap from small-town Minnesota to New York City and a life in the arts. She gained national fam...

Episode 14: Before Robbinsdale knew it was a wrestling town, it was a town of kids reenacting wrestling in backyards and playgrounds, where someone was always the villain, someone always won the belt, and wrestling somehow already mattered. That sense of toughness was forged at Robbinsdale High School, home to one of Minnesota’s hardest wrestling programs and the training ground for Verne Gagne, w...

Episode 13 The 1970s brought both loss and renewal to Robbinsdale, as beloved institutions closed while new civic investments strengthened the community. Growth and change were reflected in the demolition of the historic Parker School and the expansion of Robbinsdale Junior High. The decade also saw social progress, including Heidi Houck breaking barriers in Little League baseball. For many childr...

Episode 12: Milo M. Mielke, who retires as principal of Robbinsdale High School after 39 years, arriving in 1929 when enrollment stood at 900 and retiring in 1968 as it surpassed 20,000. The era saw heated debates over school curriculum alongside voter approval of an $11.5 million bond issue. Robbinsdale Historical Society board member Dave West, Class of 1968, shares his memories and we reflect o...

The 1960s were a time of rock and roll, rebellion and sweeping change all over the country and right here in Robbinsdale. The school district kept building out to provide for the baby boom and Robbinsdale reached peak population.

Episode 10: In 1956,  enrollment in our schools soared and 1400 kindergartners made triple shifts necessary. A new Robbinsdale Senior High School opened at Toledo and 37th Avenues. The old high school on Regent became Robbinsdale Junior High, and our School District 24 was changed to School District 281. 1957 was the first year the school district’s budget climbed over a million dollars.

Episode 9: Nestled into the rolling hills north and west of Minneapolis, the City of Robbinsdale slept soundly through the first half of the twentieth century. In the years following World War II, residents of the little bedroom community woke up to a building boom. During the 1940s and 50s, Robbinsdale added over 10,000 souls. Inside the city’s three square miles, houses, schools, and shopping ce...

Episode 8: In this episode, we dive in with the Gause brothers, fly high with the Robbinsdale Civil Air Patrol, and tell the remarkable tale of Herb Schaper, the game of Cootie, and Schaper Manufacturing. 

Episode 7: The Armistice Day Blizzard brought over 16 inches of snow to downtown Robbinsdale and crippled transportation throughout the region. The decade of the “forties” will never be forgotten because of World War II. Local events included the opening of a hospital in Robbinsdale, municipal liquor, and the opening of Lee Elementary School.

Episode 6: This decade will be remembered for the Great Depression; the WPA (Works Progress Administration); the PWA (Public Works Administration); highway construction; the development of our own wells for water; and a strong spirit of “helpfulness to others.” On November 7, 1938, the vote to change from a village to a city was approved. On December 8, 1938, at 8:00 p.m., the new charter was offi...

Episode 5: Our dream of a high school in Robbinsdale came true in 1935, when the federal government’s Public Works Administration (PWA) program added $135,000 to the $124,000 approved by taxpayers for construction. Ground was broken in March 1936, and the building was dedicated with impressive ceremonies on May 19, 1937.

Episode 4: Robbinsdale had an unprecedented building boom in the 1920s. The population of the little village swelled to just under 5,000 souls. Robbinsdale got a public water supply. Gas stoves were replacing the old iron wood stoves. and gas furnaces began replacing coal furnaces. Times were looking up, and people thought it would last forever.

Episode 3: The 1920s brought big changes to Robbinsdale. Women bobbed their hair and shortened their skirts. Whiz Bang magazine was started by Captain Billy shortly after he got out of the army. It was full of jokes for sailors and soldiers. It made no pretenses at being ‘literary’, but it tried hard to “give the boys a kick in every line.” The magazine defined the fun of the era and launched a pu...

Episode 2: Robbinsdale grew up in the 20th century, but with the old neighborhoods and the little main street on West Broadway, it still feels like a small town. These days, the Andrew B. Robbins name has been all but forgotten. In a metropolitan area with suburbs with names like Golden Valley, Richfield, and Eden Prairie, most people think our city was named for a bird.

Episode 1: Robbinsdale Historical Society president Pete Richie kicks off our first episode. We discussed the Robbinsdale Historical Society, its projects, museum, and mission before beginning our story in the 1850s.