Robbinsdale Revisited

Episode 41: Crystal and Pete take a read through Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang, a wildly popular 1920s humor magazine created by Robbinsdale veteran Wilford Hamilton Fawcett. Despite its humble beginnings on a family-operated hand press in 1919, the pocket-sized joke book grew to sell hundreds of thousands of copies monthly, funding the town's first skyscraper and putting the small community on the pop culture map. Although the original publication ceased in 1936, its massive success laid the groundwork for Fawcett Comics' iconic Captain Marvel character and inspired Robbinsdale's ongoing annual "Whiz-Bang Days" celebration.

Episode 40: Crystal Boyd presents Roberta Lee Scoville’s 1976 history of Robbinsdale tracing the community's growth from Dakota homeland and early farming settlement through the arrival of the railroad, Andrew B. Robbins, the streetcar, and the village's incorporation. Along the way, it highlights colorful stories about early residents, businesses, schools, fires, local ordinances, and everyday life, illustrating how Robbinsdale evolved into a thriving suburban community while preserving memories of its pioneering families. The episode concludes by reflecting on the challenges facing Robbinsdale in the 1970s and encourages listeners to appreciate and preserve the city's history as it looks toward the future. Roberta wrote this for a class at the Minneapolis Business College. She got an A+!

Episode 39: In the early 1900s, strict Sunday closing laws in Minneapolis transformed Robbinsdale into a rowdy, saloon-packed haven for thirsty crowds until political crackdowns forced the community to vote itself dry. The return of alcohol after prohibition brought a lucrative municipal liquor store monopoly and restrictive 3.2% beer laws that kept private bar owners strictly handcuffed. This bizarre legal landscape ultimately doomed "Someplace Else"—a swanky, secret-entrance nightclub that couldn't survive without selling setups, forcing it to pivot into a high-energy teen hangout.

Episode 38:The Nash family helped shape Robbinsdale for nearly a century, leaving their mark on farming, business, politics, public service, and recreation. Civil War veteran J. Elijah Nash became a dairy farmer, hardware merchant, and two-time Socialist candidate for governor. His son George built a thriving hardware and plumbing business, served as fire chief, and a flyer of weather flags above West Broadway. Floyd Nash transformed Crystal Lake into a bustling summer destination with Crystal Baths, drawing visitors from across the Twin Cities. As the family farm gave way to neighborhoods and the resort became parkland, the Nash legacy became woven into the fabric of Robbinsdale. It's a story of big ideas, hard work, and a family whose influence can still be seen along the shores of Crystal Lake today.

Episode 37:  The remarkable history Robbinsdale schools along Regent Avenue. This ten-acre site served as the educational heart of Robbinsdale for more than a century. Beginning with the ambitious 1889 construction of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, this special extended episode follows the evolution of the property through the Parker School, Robbinsdale Public School, Robbinsdale High School, and eventually Robbinsdale Junior High and TLC. Along the way, listeners hear colorful firsthand accounts from early Parker School students, stories of rapid community growth, legendary figures like Vern Gagne, and the dramatic expansion of District 281 during the postwar baby boom. The episode also explores how changing demographics, modernization projects, and declining enrollment ultimately led to the closure and demolition of the historic campus. 

Episode 36: Follow the life of Esther Robbins Scott, the adventurous youngest daughter of Robbinsdale founder Andrew B. Robbins. Through a remarkable collection of family papers discovered in a Plymouth townhouse, we meet a gifted writer, athlete, dog lover, and keeper of history. From her humorous childhood stories and University of Minnesota days to her courtship, marriage, and passion for breeding dogs, Esther lived life on her own terms.  She became the guardian of her family's memories, preserving letters, photographs, and documents that might otherwise have vanished. Much of what we know about the Robbins family and early Robbinsdale survives because Esther saved it.

Episode 35: Here's the extraordinary life of Wilford Hamilton Fawcett, the Canadian-born soldier, journalist, and publisher who transformed Robbinsdale into the unlikely birthplace of a national publishing empire. Pete and Crystal explore how Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang exploded from a tiny West Broadway office into a multimedia powerhouse that launched pulp magazines, celebrity culture, comic book legends like Captain Marvel, and the famous Breezy Point Resort resort. Along the way, the episode dives into Prohibition-era speakeasies, Hollywood guests, aviation stunts, family drama, and the lasting legacy of the Fawcett family’s influence on Minnesota and American pop culture.

Episode 34: Explore the history, ecology, and cultural significance of Bassett Creek, blending personal childhood memories with a deeper look at its role in the western Minneapolis area. Crystal and Pete discuss the creek’s Dakota name, Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ (“Falls Creek”), its glacial origins, and its importance to Indigenous communities. They also trace how urban development transformed it from a natural waterway into an industrialized and polluted creek that was eventually tunneled underground in parts of Minneapolis. The episode further examines the legacy of Joel Bean Bassett, the creek’s namesake, while highlighting modern restoration efforts and community projects reconnecting people with the watershed and its history.

Episode 33: We trace the rise and fall of the Historic Terrace Theater, the lavish million-dollar movie palace that became a symbol of suburban luxury and innovation in the 1950s. The episode explores how the ambitious Volk brothers transformed movie going with elegant design, personal customer service, and nonstop reinvention as the theater adapted to changing audiences, Hollywood trends, and the decline of neighborhood cinemas. We remember the magic of the Terrace and its lasting place in the history and identity of Robbinsdale.

Episode 32: We explore the history of movie theaters in Robbinsdale and the greater Twin Cities, focusing on the Volk brothers and their chain of “luxury” neighborhood cinemas. This episode traces the evolution from the small 1926 Robin Theater to major mid-century landmarks like the Riverview and the elaborate Terrace Theater, highlighting their architecture, innovations, and cultural impact. The story also captures how these theaters reflected changing times—competing with television, adapting to suburban growth, and ultimately becoming beloved symbols of a bygone era.