Doane Robinson Biography


	This biography appears on page 907 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	DOANE ROBINSON was born at Sparta, Wisconsin, October 19, 1856, 
the son of George McCook and Rhozina (Grow) Robinson. Both father and 
mother are from old Revolutionary stock. The family were farmers in the 
Beaver Creek valley, three miles north of Sparta. Mr. Robinson received 
his early education in the country schools and in his youth became a 
country school-teacher. Upon attaining his majority he went to Lyon 
county, Minnesota, and settled upon a government homestead, soon 
thereafter taking up the study of law under the preceptorship of a firm 
of lawyers in the neighboring village of Marshall. After admission to 
practice, in June, 1882, he entered the Wisconsin Law School, taking 
the senior-year course. On August 4,1883, he became a resident of 
Watertown, South Dakota, and has since been an enthusiastic Dakotan. In 
1884 he engaged in the newspaper business at Watertown and from that 
date has generally been interested in the publishing business. In 1896 
he became editor of the Yankton Gazette, continuing in that position 
until November, 1899, when he withdrew from the Gazette to give his 
entire attention to the Monthly South Dakotan, a literary and 
historical magazine which he had established May 1, 1898, and of which 
he is still the editor. Mr. Robinson has enjoyed moderate success in 
legitimate literary lines, both in prose and verse, and his work has 
for the past fifteen years appeared regularly in the standard 
magazines, particularly the Century. Through his efforts the State 
Historical Society was organized and chartered by the legislature in 
January, 1901, and he has since been secretary and executive officer of 
that organization, which is doing commendable work. In addition to this 
history, he is the author of two books, "Midst the Coteaus of Dakota," 
verse, and "A History of South Dakota from the Earliest Times," a 
school text-book.  

	On December 4, 1884, Mr. Robinson was married, at Leon, 
Wisconsin, to Miss Jennie Austin, whose death occurred on January 24, 
1902. Two sons were born to them, Harry Austin, now aged fifteen, and 
Will Grow, aged ten.  

	Mr. Robinson is a Republican and as such served his party as 
secretary of the last railroad commission of Dakota territory and the 
first commission of South Dakota. He is a member of the Congregational 
church and of several fraternal orders.