Robbinsdale Revisited

A Watershed in History

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.

Gone to the Movies, Part 2

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.

Gone to the Movies, Part 1

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.

Accolades for Adelaide

Episode 31: Adelaide Walker Robbins helped shape Minnesota from its frontier days through the early twentieth century, serving first as a teenage Civil War nurse before becoming a teacher, writer, church leader, and civic builder the communities of  Willmar and Robbinsdale. Married to our town's founder Andrew B. Robbins and sister of Lumber Barron Thomas B. Walker, she spent decades helping establish churches, schools, homes, and cultural organizations while raising a family and remaining active in public life well into her later years.

Amazing Amy

Episode 30: We trace the life of Amy Robbins Ware, a fiercely independent Robbinsdale woman whose work carried her from art studios and library clubs to the battlefields of World War I France. Through her letters and personal writings, we discover a woman driven by duty, creativity, and a stubborn insistence that women’s contributions deserved to be remembered. Her story touches everything from wartime service and architecture to peace activism, local history, and the changing role of women in the early 20th century.

How it Was

Episode 29: Did you ever say “My, how I’d like to have lived in the good old days.”? No cares or worries, no electric lights, no gas or oil to heat with, no vacuum cleaner, no automatic washer or dryer, no electric refrigerator or deep freeze, no radio or T.V. and but few telephones, no automobile or airplane, no atomic bomb. If they didn’t have all of these, what did they have, and how did they go about laying the foundation for the life that is ours to enjoy today. 
This episode of Robbinsdale Revisited explores the early settlement of Robbinsdale, blending biography with diary excerpts that capture the rhythms of daily life in the late 1800s. It highlights how the Shumway family worked alongside neighbors to build the village, support one another, and establish their church. 

Lost Malls, Lost Schools, Lasting Spirit

In the 1980s, Robbinsdale faced population decline and an aging community, even as it held tightly to its identity and traditions like its Tree City pride. The decade brought major changes, including failing retail ventures like Ward’s Terrace Mall, the loss of beloved landmarks, and a shifting downtown struggling to redefine itself. At the center of it all was a bitter, emotional battle over school closures—especially the high school—that divided residents and left a lasting impact.

Exemplary Edith

Episode 27:  We follow Edith Robbins, her family, and their historic home,  from a large, active household to a quieter, dispersed legacy. After Andrew B. Robbins’ death, his daughter Edith becomes the central figure, managing the family estate, running businesses, and serving for decades on the local school board. The episode emphasizes her leadership, resilience, and deep involvement in community projects and civic life. It concludes by celebrating her creative legacy, including a reading from her children’s poetry that reflects her love of nature and imagination.

Edith Robbins Daniel: Education and Enterprise

Episode 26: We explore the early life of Edith Robbins Daniel, the eldest daughter of Robbinsdale founder Andrew B. Robbins, and a remarkable figure in her own right. Raised in a pioneering family that helped shape early Minnesota communities, Edith grew into a teacher, writer, and civic leader whose influence reached far beyond her hometown. She taught in Minneapolis schools, served as a principal, wrote widely used children’s songs, and played a central role in local business and real estate. Deeply engaged in public life, she organized wartime relief efforts, supported education, and even penned the epic and sharply witty “Suffragette Salad,” a poem that captures the spirit and arguments of the women’s suffrage movement with humor and bite. Edith’s story is one of leadership, creativity, and determination—a woman who helped build a community while leaving a lasting mark of her own.

Five Daughters

Episode 25: We draw on the work and research of Robert B. Porter to tell the story of the five daughters of Andrew B. Robbins—Edith, Amy, Adelaide, Ruth, and Esther. Each woman helped shape early Robbinsdale through her talent, education, and determination. All five attended the University of Minnesota and went on to lead meaningful, impactful lives: Edith in education and public service; Amy in music, writing, and wartime work overseas; Adelaide in the arts as a poet and musician; Ruth through quiet resilience and civic involvement; and Esther as an independent spirit who preserved much of the family’s history. Together, their stories reveal a family of strong, accomplished women whose influence extended far beyond their time.