----Source: 1891 History of Clark & Jackson Co., Wis., pg. 231-232

ROBERT DOUGLAS, a farmer of Jackson County, was born in Kirkeudbrightshire, Scotland, August 30, 1815, the son of Thomas Douglas, who was also born in Scotland, in the year 1787. In 1844 he came to this country, locating in Jackson County, Wisconsin, where the town of Melrose now is. He was a cattle-buyer by occupation. He subsequently went to Clark County, this State, where he died at about the age of sixty-five years. His father was also born in Scotland, and died there at the age of 100 years. He was a farmer by occupation.  He subsequently went to Clark County, this State, where he died at about the age of sixty-five years. His father was also born in Scotland, and died there at the age of 100 years. He was a farmer by occupation, and was a very prominent man. Our subject's mother, Jane (Dalryple) Douglas, was born in Scotland in 1787, and died there at an advanced age. They were the parents of eleven children, vis.: John, James, William, Jane, Robert, Hugh, Thomas, Isabella, David, George and Mark. All are deceased by William, Robert, Hugh and Mark. The subject of this sketch, the fifth child, was reared and educated in his native country. In 1837 he came to the United States, locating in Jackson County, Wisconsin, in the sprin of 1840, and at that time he and Jacob Spaulding were the only white men in the county. In 1842, he built a sawmill, which proved a failure on account of not having sufficient water-power. In the fall of the same year he took a claim at North Bend, and also built a mill there, using the machinery in the old mill. With his brother Thomas, and brother-in-law, Jason Walker, he ran this mill until 1854, when Mr. Douglas sold his interest to his brother Thomas. When he first came to this country, Mr. Douglas took up 1,100 acres of land in Melrose, and after selling the mill he went back to this land. He furnished the material for a steamboat which he ran about three years, and again went to his farm, where he has since remained. He now owns 300 acres in section 17 and 20. He received his naturalization papers in 1840; politically he is a Republican. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1840.

He was married in September, 1852, to Lousia Hurd, who was born in Vermont, and died in Melrose, Jackson County, Wisconsin, at the age of sixty-one years. She was a daughter of Norman Hurd, also a native of Vermont who came to Jackson County in 1855 where he died at the age of sixty-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas had seven children, two of who are now living--John and Archibald. In 1868 he was married to Mrs. Mary Pardun, by whom he had one child--Mary J.