Lake-Porter County IN Archives Biographies.....Robinson, John G. 1846 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 24, 2006, 11:30 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) JOHN G. ROBINSON. The Sage of Concord, Emerson, has said "there is no history; only biography," and in the detailed life sketches that appear in this work will be found the most authentic facts concerning the life and growth of Lake county as a social, industrial and political organization of the state of Indiana. The life of Mr. Robinson, of West Creek township, for long one of the foremost citizens and representative men, adds additional facts to the completeness of this work, for most of his active career has been passed in this county. He was born in the old Bay state of Massachusetts, April 12, 1846, a son of John G. and Adeline (Thayer) Robinson. There were six children, four sons and two daughters, in the family, and he is the second oldest of the five now living, the others being as follows: Sumner T., now residing in Sac City, Iowa, was formerly a farmer and later a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and during the Civil war was a member of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry, as part of the Army of the Potomac, and during a skirmish was shot through the shoulder. Ellen, who was a successful teacher in Porter county for a number of years, is now the widow of Anthony Smith and resides in Valparaiso. Emily, who also taught for some years, is the wife of Lemmon Cain, a farmer of Porter county. William is an agriculturist of St. Joseph county, Indiana. Mr. Robinson's father was also a native of Massachusetts, had a common school education, and followed the vocations of shoemaking and farming. For three years he followed the Union flag as a member of Company H, Twentieth Indiana Infantry, and at the terrible battle of the Wilderness, on May 12, 1864, gave up his life for his country. Of the one hundred and one men of his company who went into that memorable engagement, only four came out unscathed, the dead and wounded being piled up five tiers deep. He had been an ardent Republican and an admirer of Lincoln, He had come to Porter county, Indiana, in 1854, and purchased land on which he made his home until going to the war. His wife was also born in Massachusetts, and the Robinsons and Thayers were both of English origin. Mr. Robinson was eighteen years old when his father died, and he lost his mother also when he was a boy. Even while his father was away in defense of the flag the care and responsibility of the home devolved in great measure upon him, so that he has been serious-minded and practical from an early age. He has made farming his life vocation, and his early education was obtained in the common schools. He is of the constantly decreasing number who can look back to a log-cabin school as the scene of schoolboy days. Over in Porter county he daily for several months in the year attended a school held in a sixteen by sixteen foot, round-log building, with roof of shakes, and furnished inside and out in the most primitive pioneer plainness. Ray's arithmetic and the elementary spelling book formed his intellectual pabulum, and from these facts it may be understood how far education has advanced since the youth of Mr. Robinson. On Christmas day of the year 1869 Mr. Robinson married Miss Sarah J. Evans, who became the mother of seven children, four sons and three daughters, five of whom are living: James W., a farmer residing east of Crown Point in Center township, was educated in the common schools and by his marriage to Miss Laura Kobelin had two children, John L. Hannon and Victor William. John Melvin, who was educated in the common schools and is a prosperous farmer in West Creek township, married Miss Ella Surprise. Kittie is the wife of William Futhey, who is a practical farmer and also managed the construction of the water-works systems in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Frank Evans, now of Lowell, was educated in the common schools, a graduate of the township high school in the class of 1900, took the teacher's course at the Valparaiso normal, and was a successful teacher in West Creek township for four years: he wedded Miss Ina Klein, daughter of John Klein. Louisa, the youngest of the family, completed the eleventh grade in the high school, graduating from common school in 1899, taught for two years, part of the time in Kankakee county, Illinois, took her second term in the Valparaiso normal, and is now teaching in her home district. The daughter Nellie died at two years of age, and Charlie died when one year old. Mrs. Robinson was born in Miami county, Ohio, December 29, 1848, being the fourth of seven children, two sons and five daughters, born to James and Mary (Wait) Evans. She has a brother and a sister still living; Robert Evans, who has been employed in the Chicago city postoffice for the past eight years, and was a teacher in Lake county eight years, finished his education at Valparaiso, and is a married man; her sister Mary is the wife of Oscar Kitchell, a mechanic residing in Englewood, Chicago, and she taught successfully in Porter and Lake counties. James Evans, her father, was a native of Ohio, of Welsh origin. He was a farmer, and about 1849 settled in LaPorte county. He was a Democrat in politics, and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. He died in West Creek township of this county September 21, 1877, and his wife in Porter county August 11, 1886. Mrs. Robinson's great-grandfather Wait was a hero in the Revolutionary war, and her grandmother's name was Goble. Mrs. Robinson has spent most of her life in Porter and Lake counties, and her education was received in the common schools. For the first five years of their wedded life Mr. and Mrs. Robinson resided in Porter county, and then came to Cedar Creek township, Lake county, which was their home for thirteen years, and in 1888 they took up their residence in West Creek township. They have friends throughout the county, and are universally esteemed for their worth and upright lives. Mr. Robinson is a Republican, having cast his first vote for General Grant. He and his good wife were formerly members of the Baptist church denomination, but now belong to the Christian church at Lowell, and contribute to all worthy benevolences according to their means. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Genealogy and Biography OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834—1904 A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1904 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/robinson548gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 7.1 Kb