James Robinson

    James Robinson (deceased) was born in 1822, in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania. His father was Andrew Robinson, a native of the same State, of Irish descent. His mother's maiden name was Stilly. He was raised on a farm and had a common school education.

    In 1845 he married Miss Mary Barnum, of Jefferson County, Indiana, where he resided during the rest of his life. He died in 1858. He was a good citizen.

    By this marriage there were six children, viz: John, Levi B., Elizabeth O, George L., James F. and Mary F. Of these, two live in Jefferson County and the rest in Kansas. Capt. Daniel Barnum, the father of Mrs. Robinson, was a man of considerable note. He was born in the State of New York, in 1786. He was a soldier in the War of 1812-15.

    He came to Indiana in 1823 and settled in Lancaster Township -now Monroe -in Jefferson County, where he lived a good, orderly citizen for many years. He came down the Ohio River on a raft of lumber, starting from the region of Olean, New York, on the Alleghany River. With this lumber he erected the house and barn on his farm. In 1837 he removed to Missouri and remained some years, returning again to Indiana; later he went to Oregon, and after some ten years returned again to Jefferson County, Indiana, where he died.

    He was twice married, and raised eight children: Samuel, Elizabeth, Eli, Sylvina, Thomas, Noah, Mary and Emmeline, all of whom are still living but Thomas, Noah and Samuel He was one of the early democratic Abolitionists of early times in this county, and was a worker on the Underground Railroad, between slavery on the south and Canada on the north; the trains ran principally in the night time and on foot.

Source: Biographical and Historical Souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington, Indiana. By John M. Gresham & Co., 1889.