George W. Robbins, druggist, Pickard’s Mill, Indiana, came to Clinton County March 1, 1865, and settled in Sugar Creek Township, on section 35, buying 120 acres of land on which he lived seven years. In the fall of 1873 he exchanged a part of his property for lots in Pickard’s Mill and money, and engaged in the general mercantile business a year. He then sold out and built his store building, and May 25, 1875, put in a stock of drags and groceries. In 1876 he sold his stock and rented the building until April, 1886, when he and his son bought the stock of W. W. Cormack, and now are conducting a successful business.

 Mr. Robbins was born February 1, 1829, in Wayne County, Indiana, and when ten years of age accompanied his parents to Fulton County, Indiana. He was married in Montgomery County, April 22, 1855, to Rachel Fisher, who was born in Tippecanoe County, August 22, 1832, but was reared in Montgomery County, her parents moving there when she was ten years old. She was a daughter of James and Phoebe (Moon) Fisher, natives of Ohio, the father born in Highland County, January 3, 1808, and died in 1878, and the mother born in Clinton County in 1810, and died in 1846.

 Mr. and Mrs. Robbins have had seven children”Mary C., born January 17, 1856, died March 15, 1874; Olive, born October 15, 1857; Charles, born March 29, 1860; Emma, September 15, 1863; U.S. Grant, August 9, 1868; Schuyler Colfax, August 6, 1870, and Myrtle, August 7, 1874. In politics Mr. Robbins is a Republican. He is a member of the Society of Friends, his wife being a member of the Baptist church. He has served Sugar Creek Township as justice of the peace four years, and has been in the post-office either as postmaster or assistant nine years. His parents, James and Miriam (Davis) Robbins, were natives of Randolph County, North Carolina, the father born January 7, 1789, and the mother in 1793. His mother died in Fulton County, March 2, 1869, and his father in Sugar Creek Township, September 25, 1873.

 His paternal grandparents were Moses and Alice (Harlan) Robbins, and his maternal grandparents were Emmor and Alice (Stocker) Davis. The latter were Quakers, and Mr. Robbins’s mother was deprived of her membership because of her marriage to a Methodist. His paternal great-grandparents, John and Elizabeth (Curtis) Robbins, were also natives of North Carolina, of Welsh descent. The former was a Baptist clergyman, and at the battle of Guilford Court House was taken prisoner by the Tories, and his ill treatment while a captive affected his mind and he never fully recovered, although he lived to be 100 years old. (continued below)

Rev. John Robbins, (Revolutionary War Soldier, g-grandfather of subject) is also buried at the Locust Grove (ME) Cemetery.

Revolutionary War Veteran: His headstone is in Locust Grove M.E. Cemetery, on the West Side of Centerville/Abington Pike, near Abington, IN. There is a D.A.R. marker indicating the following:  Revolutionary Soldier, John Robbins, 1775-1783, Placed by Richmond Indiana Chapter, D.A.R.- National Old Trails Chapter D.A.R. Headstone inscription-In the memory of John Robbins who departed his life May 8, 1834 in the 93d year of his age.  Wounded in the Battle of Guilford Court House- “He came to Indiana and was a resident of Wayne county at the time of his death, which occurred about 1837, at the age of ninety-three.” (*His age was previously indicated to be 100 years old, at time of death)

 (continued) On the same evening the grandfather of Mr. Robbins was carried off by the same band of Tories, but being only a boy was released in a few days. Alice Harlan, his grandmother, and an older sister were compelled by the same band to pilot them to the home of Captain John Bryant, whose wife was a sister of the grandfather’s, he being at home on furlough at the confinement of his wife. The Tories surrounded the house, and while the two girls crouched inside of the door, Bryant was shot down in his house and the girls left to get home as best they could. Source; The History of Clinton County, Indiana; By Inter-State Publishing; 1886

***

George W. Robbins
He was born in Wayne county, Indiana, February first, 1829. He moved with his parents to Fulton county, Indiana, at an early age, and endured, in his youth, all the privations of pioneer life. He settled on eighty acres of land and worked earnestly for several years, and in 1864, had accumulated a little money. He sold his land, and in the spring of 1865 moved to Clinton county, Indiana, where he now resides. He has engaged in merchantile pursuits for several years, in which he was successful. Source: History of the State of Indiana, 1875

 ***

The Wayne County, Indiana Robbins Families

Moses Robbins, was a native of the State of North Carolina, born in 1764, and came to Indiana in 1816, locating in Wayne county, where he resided on a tract of land in Center township a short time, and in 1817 pre-empted the whole of section 9 in Abington township, a portion of which tract he reclaimed to cultivation and there passed the residue of his life, dying in 1850, at the residence of his son, Moses, at the old homestead. His wife, a native of the State of North Carolina, passed away in Abington township in 1837.” (*Alices’ headstone  indicates death year as 1835)

***

APRIL, 1851; THE ROBBINS FAMILY LOSE  6 CHILDREN  TO SCARLET FEVER

News article  transcribed from  the Palladium X-tra Newspaper 4-23-1851- (Richmond, Indiana) Source; Morrison Reeves Library (micro-filmed); Titled: Four children of Moses Robbins die of scarlet fever.

MELANCHOLY FATALITY
We deeply regret to learn that our friend Moses Robbins, residing near Abington in this county, has lost four of his children, during the past week, of scarlet fever. Three of them, we are informed, were buried in one day, and sleep in one grave. The fourth was buried by their side on the succeeding day. The public deeply sympathize with the parents in their sorrowful bereavements. (The fifth child, Zachary,  died the day this article went to press)

Locust Grove Cemetery

There are six Robbins’ Children buried in the family  plot at Locust Grove. ALL Children died in 1851, and the dates on their  headstones indicate the deaths occurred in April of 1851. There are at least FIVE — children of Moses Robbins (II) that died as a result of contracting Scarlet Fever. Another Robbins  child, Sophia, died at age 12… in April, 1851. She  was the daughter of Harlan Parker Robbins, a brother of Moses Robbins (II).

* Scarlet Fever Deaths in the Moses Robbins (II)  Family:

1) Sarah E. Robbins- died April 15, 1851- 9 yrs- 9 mo- 7 days old.
2) Mary E. Robbins- died April 16, 1851- 2 yrs- 5 mo- 11 days old.
3) Nancy J. Robbins- died April 17, 1851-13 yrs- 10 mo- 7 days old.
4) Henry G. Robbins- died April 17, 1851- 4 yrs- 9 mo- 19 days old.
5) Zachary T. Robbins- died April 23, 1851- 2 yrs- 10 mo- 22 days old.

*note–There may be a Robbins child (listed above) that died at the same time with Scarlet Fever—who was  NOT a son or daughter of Moses Robbins (II).The below named individuals were relatives…but not his children,  however, they were  buried with his children—most likely,  they died from the same disease, during the same period.

His Brother’s Daughters- (Daughters of Harlan Parker Robbins)
6) Sophia Robbins- died April-1851- 12yrs old.
7) Marium Robbins- died April 5, 1851- 20 years old.

Marium Robbins Jarrett (wife of Jonathon Jarrett) lost an infant daughter
February 11, 1851. Jonathon remarried to Lydia Fender in 1854 and removed to New Paris Ohio, where he lived until he died. Marium and her infant daughter may have died  during the birth of  this child, or this mother & daughter  could have also been the victims of Scarlet  Fever as well.  If the latter is the case, the Robbins family lost 8  of their children  during this unfortunate time. It’s  almost  unimaginable  to consider the incredible amount of grief this family endured…158 years ago.

***

Hiram M. Robbins   was born Sept. 17, 1825, in Wayne County, Ind., the eldest son of Moses and Elizabeth Robbins, who were natives of North Carolina. He was reared on his father’s farm, and has always followed agricultural pursuits. He now has an excellent farm of 179 acres, on the east branch of the Whitewater. He was married in 1856 to Permelia Gentry, a native of this county, who died in 1875, leaving five children. One had died in 1874.

In 1881 Mr. Robbins was married to Rachel Lamott. They have had one child, who is deceased. Our subject’s father was married in 1824 to Elizabeth, daughter of Frederick Long. He then settled on the land entered by his father, where he reared a family of thirteen children, four of whom are still living. Besides being a farmer and stock-raiser, he was a teacher of vocal music. He died in 1879. His widow is making her home with her son, Dr. Robbins, of Miami County, Ind. (See Dr. Robbins’ sketch below)

 Our subject’s grandfather, Moses Robbins, came to Wayne County from North Carolina in 1816 and settled on Nolan’s Fork, afterward entering the land, nearly a section, from the Government. He died in 1850. Our subject’s great-grandfather, John Robbins. was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Source; History of Wayne County, Indiana; Inter-State Publishers; 1884

***

George W. Robbins was born February 1, 1829 and he died September 12, 1896. Mr. Robbins is  buried  at the Hlls Baptist Church Cemetery, Clinton County, Ind. His wife, Rachel (Fisher) Robbins b; August 22, 1832, and died December 14, 1912 and is also buried at Hills Baptist Church Cemetery.

***

JOHN Q. A. ROBBINS, M. D., of Denver, is a native of Wayne County, this State, and was born November 6, 1826. He was the second son born to Moses and Elizabeth (Long) Robbins, both natives of North Carolina, the former of Welsh and Irish and the latter of German descent. Our subject spent his boyhood and youth working upon his father’s farm in his native county. At the age of sixteen, having decided to fit himself for the medical profession, he began the study of medicine with Dr. James Ruby, of Abington, Wayne County, with whom he diligently pursued his studies for about five years.

 In June, 1849, he came to this county (Miami Co,) and entered upon his professional duties at Chili. Here he remained until April, 1856, when, owing to the impaired condition of his health and the death of his wife, he returned to his father’s in Wayne County for recuperation. He remained there about oneyear and a half, during which time he traveled through the West for his health. On the 1st day of January, 1858, he located at Abington, where he again entered upon the practice of his profession. In the latter part of November, 1881, he again came to this county, and this time located at Denver, where he has ever since been actively engaged in the practice of his profession.

 In the fall of 1868, while a citizen of Abington, he entered the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, where he attended one course of lectures, graduating in February, 1869. On the 17th day of May, 1849, he was married to Mary C. Jarrett, also a native of Wayne County, this State, born of English descent, in September, 1826. She was the daughter of William and Nancy (Wilson) Jarrett, both natives of Virginia. To this union two children were born: Moses E. and John H. C., the former of whom died at the age of eleven years, and the latter died before he was two years old.

 Dr. Robbins lost his first wife October 13, 1853, and on the 6th day of April, 1854, he was married to Eliza Ann W. Myers, who died February 21, 1856. She was born in Preble County, Ohio, and was the daughter of James Myers. His second marriage resulted in the birth of one child”James Edgar, who died at the age of seven years. October 27, 1858, our subject was married to Mrs. Martha E. Heacock, a native of Wayne County, this State, and daughter of William and Nancy (Long) Larkin, natives of Tennessee and Virginia, respectively.

 To this last union four children have been born. Their names are Harriet A., born August 24, 1859; Carrie J., born August 1, 1862; Francis C., born June 11, 1867, and Altie H., born June 16, 1876, all of whom are living. Dr. Robbins and wife are faithful members of the M. E. Church. He is a member of the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. Lodges, and a Republican in politics. He is a pleasant, intelligent gentleman, a first-class citizen, and as a physician is very successful.   Source; History of Miami County, Indiana; By Brant & Fuller; 1887.

***

Dr. John Quincy Adams Robbins was born in Wayne County, Indiana,  November 6, 1826 and died April 30, 1891. He is buried at the Westlawn Cemetery (Denver) Miami County, Indiana.

***

I’ll be updating this post later…