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, whose success and founding of the AWA helped turn the town into a wrestling pipeline. From Larry Hennig and Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig to Rick Rude, Barry Darsow, Madusa, and many others, Robbinsdale proved that those childhood matches sometimes grew into legends—and a whole lot of flying elbows.

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 children, it was an era of wide-ranging freedom, adventure, and unsupervised exploration throughout the neighborhood.

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 on civic growth in the 60s.