Thomas M. Robbins
History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
May be copied for non-profit purposes.
USGENWEB Montana Archives

Thomas M. Robbins, a prominent stockman residing near 
Melrose, Beaver Head County, Montana, was born in Sullivan 
County, Indiana, April 25, 1834.His father Thomas M. Robbins, 
Sr. was a veteran of the War of 1812 and a pensioner of that 
war, was twice married and by his second wife, nee Elizabeth 
Hinkle, had three sons and four daughters, of whom our 
subject was the fourth born. The father died in 1861, in 
the seventieth year of his age and the mother died in 1854. 
Thomas M. Robbins Jr. was reared in his native state, and 
May 9, 1855 enlisted in the regular army as a private and 
served five years. In 1856 he was sent to British America 
to guard an exploring expedition, after which he was located 
successively at Fort Snelling, Fort Leavenworth and Salt Lake. 
In 1859 he was on detached service on SnakeRiver and while 
there buried a number of emigrants who had been killed by 
the Indians. He remained at Camp Floyd until his time expired, 
when he was honorably discharged. Then he went to Denver, 
Colorado and remained in that part of the country for about a 
year. In the fall of 1861 he started back east, intending to 
enlist in the Union army, but when he reached Council Bluffs 
he changed his plans, returned to Fort Bridger and was 
employed by Benjamin Hadley the overland stage route, 
acting as local agent and stockdriver for about one year. 
In the spring of 1863 he heard ofthe gold discoveries at 
Bannack and directed his course to this point, arriving 
June 14. He became associated with the California Company, 
with whom he mined successfully until 1865 but like many 
other miners, he made investments inclaims whereby he 
lost his hard earnings. The winter of 1865-6 he spent 
on Rock Creek in the Big Hole Valley, far remote from 
civilization, as at that time his nearest neighbor was 
ten miles away. In the spring he went to Moose Creek in 
Deer Lodge County where he was for two years engaged in 
the stock business and was successful. In 1868 he 
removed to Rocker and began selling goods and keeping 
a boarding house, and here, too, he made money. The 
following year, however, he went to Rochester where 
he met with financial loss and found himself broke 
again. Then he went toSilver Bow and engaged in the 
hotel business and was there off and on until 1875. 
In 1876 he came to his present location and took claim 
to a tract of Government land, 120 acres at first, on 
which in 1870 he built a comfortable residence. Here he 
has since resided, engaged in stockraising. Aside from 
his ranch he has various other interests.He owns a store 
at Rochester, has two houses in Melrose and has invested 
considerably in copper, lead and silvermines.Mr. Robbins 
was married March 14, 1864 to Miss Ester Whitney, a 
native of Jackson County Michigan, and a daughter of 
Price Whitney. Their only son William L. Robbins is 
the proprietor of the Central Hotel at Melrose.

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