Echoes From The Attic and Poems, ROBERTSON HOME, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Don Johnson, Jan. 2001
Typed by Belford Carver
Written by by Edna F. Campbell
Copyrighted by Edna F. Campbell
With special thanks to her family for permission to use her works.

************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************

ROBERTSON HOME

MASS-DRAPED OAKS MARK LAND SINGED BY ABE LINCOLN

Moss draped live oak trees mark the estate of the Robertson family where the 67 
year old family residence is poised on the hillside on Coburn Road.  Groupings of the 
old old trees add picturesque beauty to the hils and slopes of the surrounding 
grounds.

Miss Ouida Robertson has continued to reside in the old home during her entire 
lifetime, while her sister, Mrs. Mary Prince resides in an adjoining brick home where 
she has lived for the past several years.  Their father, Edward Livingston Robertson, 
purchased the acres form the Stoner family of Greencastle, Ind.  The Stoners in turn 
had obtained the land from Caswell Wainwright.  Wainwright homesteaded the land 
with a grant signed by Abraham Lincoln.  The signed land transaction is still in 
possession of the Robertson family.

The original Wainwright house was occupied by the Robertsons in their first years of 
marriage.  Mr. Robertson was a native of Tangipahoa parish, and had lived in a home 
near Chemekete, now the property of the Ed Breckwoldts.  He was married to the 
former Jhanvave Fendlason, and they were the parents of seven children.  In addition 
to the two previously mentioned were Beulah Robertson Drott, Hilda Robertson 
Hinckley, Claire Robertson Poche, Edward Roscoe Robertson, and Frances Robertson 
Fortenberry.

It was around the fall of 1901 when the property was purchased by Robertson.  J. 
Walter Drott built the house in Cape Cod fashion from magnolia, long leaf yellow pine
and maple logs, all from timber on the grounds.  There are five bedrooms, a dining 
room, a parlor, two halls, a stair case, a kitchen, and two baths.  The house is 
sturdily erect and is weatherboarded with long leaf yellow pine.  It is stained brown 
with white trim for constrast.

Miss Ouida Robertson recalls wedding ceremonies for four of her sisters celebrated 
in the home and funeral rites were conducted there for her parents.  Many sentiments 
are embedded there.
She reminisces in watching her father cut and split cypress shingles for the barn, 
and her part in stacking the shingles as a small child.  His occupation was farming 
and lumber piling.

Among other memories she heard her parents tell of the barn being constructed of 
virgin timber which was downed in a September hurricane.  Junius Hoover erected a 
saw mill and prepared the timber for building around 1912.

Triplet oaks are grown together in the front yard with majestic branches in 
widespreading reach revealing their 150 year growth.

Mr. Robertson drove the first school bus to Hammond from Zenobia School.  He served 
as police juryman from 1912-16.  Together with his family he attended the Zenobia 
Church, where some of the members continue to worship.  Of particular interest is 
the old wood shed, a portion of the original Caswell Wainwright house, which was 
constructed from saved handhewn timber from the old home.
(From ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC, III, 1968, by Edna Campbell)

(Pic of Robertson Home)

(Note: The home still exists on the knoll just south of Highway 190 on the west side 
of South Coburn Road.  BEC 1/11/01)