|
Vol. Two No. One |
October/November 1998 |
 |
In this issue:
|
|
Vol. Two No. One |
October/November 1998 |
|
|
In this issue:
|
|
and your editor! |
 |
Some people have written they have had problems accessing the page. The last two printed newsletters contained a typo unnecessarily inserting a "www" where it didn't belong. Try the jg3.com route as it may be easier to remember.
According to the counter on our web page, it has been visited 643 times already! Obviously some of these visitors were just out surfing the web and looked in out of curiosity. Some visitors did sign the guest book, however, and their entries are reprinted here for those who do not have Internet access:
Sarah L. Dickey, niece of Evelyn Horning, checked in with "Robins Family Reunion, Hi! Just heard about the reunion from my aunt who will be attending. Will be checking your web site to see what's going on."
John G. Robbins said "Hello all!! I just had a chance to drop by the page. I never knew that there were so many people actively researching our lineage. My Aunt K (Katherine Waltermire) showed me all of her research, but I never knew it was this extensive! For those of you who many not know (or who want to know where I place on the tree), I am the son of Gilbert E. And Phyllis J. Robbins. Dad is the brother of K.W. I can't make it to the reunion this year but please send all my love and a hearty howdy (!) To everyone there. Let them know they have a "cousin" in Orlando. Oh by the way, my sister Donna is in Japan! Pray for her while she is there. " By the way, John has a spiffy website of his own complete with pictures and audio!
We received a message "Greetings. Send any responses to "yongkerz@aol.com" & "grobbins@sikorsky.com" GLR." This was from a George L. Robbins. I did send a message to this George Robbins asking him how he might be connected to our Robbins line, but have not heard from him.
Katherine Waltermire got hooked up (finally!) And wrote "I'm back in Florida from the summer in Indiana. Have just gotten on the Internet and hope to hear from any one out there and especially those interested in the Robbins-Robins-Davidson family genealogy. We had a great reunion in North Vernon, IN on Sept. 12. Lots of thanks to the good work of The Round Robin."
A Randall Robbins dropped in looking for background on Thomas Jefferson Robbins of Fort Worth, Texas. If anyone can help him, take a look at the guest book for additional information.
Ed Robbins & Family stopped by to visit the site and also send some e-mail with son Travis' contribution to the newsletter.
Mark Your Calendar! Next year's reunion will be held Saturday, September 11, 1999.
The Robbins-Davidson Family Reunion was held at North Vernon City Park on Saturday, September 11,1998. The weather was beautiful -- much nicer than the 100 plus degree temperatures we had in 1997! There was some concern about the use of Shelter House #2, since the Farmer's Market uses that location on Saturdays during the summer. They were displaced into the parking lot, but no tomatoes were thrown at us as we assembled in our usual location. Over 80 people were in attendance. A great buffet was spread out for our enjoyment. Lots of chicken, meatloaf, home made macaroni and cheese, lots of veggies, casseroles, and desserts! Everybody had a great time visiting and getting re acquainted. This year the reunion committee had a microphone and speaker system which made it easier to hear the announcements. It was a wonderful idea to pass the microphone through the crowd so each person had the opportunity to introduce themselves and speak to the entire group.
There were four displays for people to view. Gladys (Robbins) Gunderson had a display the earliest Robbins ancestors, dating back to Ian Robbins who was born around 1650 in Swansea, Wales. Gladys also had a display of the descendants of Amasa Robbins, Sr. which complimented a display made by Katherine (Robins) Waltermire which invited you to find your name among Amasa's multitude of descendants. (Did anyone count to see exactly how many of us there are?!) Katherine also had a large number of old, old pictures without names in hopes that some of the reunion participants would be able identify these unknown ancestors. I didn't recognize anyone, but it was fun just to look. (This display was a reminder to all of us to write those names on the backs of our pictures!) The displays were of particular interest to David Robbins from Kansas City, KS and Robert Robbins of Ponca City, OK, descendants of Ransom Robbins, who came to the reunion on a genealogy hunt.
Lou Randall announced when it was time for the business part of the reunion. Katherine Waltermire read the minutes of the last reunion and reported on the reunion's income and expenses. Prizes were awarded to the oldest man in attendance, Earl Robbins, and the oldest woman. There was some controversy about who was the oldest woman, and I'm sorry to say I missed who won this prize. The person coming the farthest was Bob and Geneva Galyen's daughter, Suzie of Tucson, Arizona, who narrowly beat Eddie Robbins and Bonnie (Robbins) Scheuring who were there from Phoenix, Arizona, to win the prize. Vickie (Christian) Kolb won the prize for the person with the most children in attendance -- she had six! Paul Robbins made a motion to donate $100 to the Round Robin Newsletter, and upon agreement from the Davidsons in attendance, the motion was seconded. (This was quite unexpected, but as the editor I appreciate everyone's interest in continuing with the newsletter, and when the money is received it will be used toward postage.) A motion was made and seconded to keep the same people as officers of the reunion committee. A final item of business was to set the date for the 1999 reunion. It was nearly unanimous that the reunion again be held on the second Saturday of September, 1999, in the same location. I hope everyone who missed the reunion this year will be able to join all of us who were there this year to make the 1999 reunion even better.
-- Donna Bragg
|
|
 |
The "San Jacinto News" column by Mary Jo Wahlman reported in The North Vernon Plain Dealer for September 24, 1998, the following story:
"On Friday, Sept. 11, a group of old San Jacinto School students and friends met at Broad Acres to lunch with Paul Robbins. Paul, retired Purdue professor, and his wife from Sun City, Florida, were in Jennings to attend the Robbins-Davidson Reunion on Saturday. He gifted everyone with a lime from the tree in his back yard. (He also joked that having a lime tree was like us having an acre of zucchini. They try to get rid of the extra fruit to anyone who will take it.) Pictures were enjoyed and golden years discussed."
Thomas Robbins and relatives were some of the first pioneers to occupy what we now know as Spencer Township. They settled along the Muscatatuck River south west of the town of Vernon. This area became known as Sullivan Community. It was called Sullivan's Ford. The Robbins group were situated west of the Sullivan community and the north, on Six Mile Creek.
These first frontiersmen were from Kentucky. They had migrated out of Virginia, North Carolina and New York. Conestoga wagons, ox carts, covered wagons and buggies brought the first settlers and their belongings to this new territory. Two of the most valuable possessions were their guns and their axes. The most popular ax was the "Collins" which was manufactured in Hartford, Connecticut.
The first settlers who lived in this area of Jennings County were called "squatters" because they had not obtained a deed for the land they were living on. To get these deeds they went to Jeffersonville, Indiana, to the Federal Land Agent and paid $1.25 an acre for the land they wanted to purchase. These first property buyers probably used the Spanish doubloons because it was the only common currency in this section of the nation until 1838. These deeds were written on sheepskin parchment with the signature of the President of the United States on them.
The first deed was issued in 1817. Each year after that more squatters got their lawful right to the land until 1852 when all the available acreage in that section of Jennings County was taken. Before 1833 this region of land was part of Vernon Township. The people had to travel to Vernon to get their mail, to barter for supplies and generally visit with the townsfolk and catch up on the news. In 1833 some of the people talked about calling for a division in the township that would make it more convenient to vote and trade for goods. A petition was written, signed and delivered to the Commissioner's Court at Vernon. The request was granted on May 5, 1833. The newly formed township was named Spencer in honor of Colonel Amasa Spencer from Somerset, Kentucky who had been a prominent officer in the Revolutionary War. Colonel Spencer was born at Albany, New York, in 1760. He was one of the first pioneers to the Spencer Township area. Amasa Spencer died on July 10, 1846 and was buried in the orchard on his farm.
At the present time I do not know my connection to this Thomas Robbins, named on the deed linked here. My great great grandfather was Thomas, Sr. My great grandfather was Thomas, Jr. Thomas, Sr., also had a son William who had a son Thomas. Therefore there were three Thomas Robbins in the area at that time. I have no doubt the "Thomas Robbins and relatives" who settled in the Sullivan Community were my great great grandfather and his relatives. Other Robbins who purchased land in the area, many of whom I have proven to be in our large family of ancestors were Joshua, James, William, Jacob, Aaron, Joseph, Ransom, Jno (?) Andrew M. And James, Jr. We can also call many descendants of other earlier settlers "kin" because they united in marriage with the Robbins line, among them were Hartwell, Skinner, Force, Baker and Green.
Sources:
Copies of land patent records are available for download directly from the Bureau of Land Management. website. There is no charge.
A copy of the deed issued to Thomas Robbins granting him ownership of 80 acres of land in Jennings County, Indiana is available by clicking this link. This deed was signed by President Martin Van Buren on August 15, 1938. You will need to use the "Back" button on your browser to return to this page. Please note that the original image as downloaded from the BLM web site is of much higher resolution.
Want to see the entire contents of the printed edition of the newsletter? Send your subscription request using the convenient online form, or e-mail the editor.
