Robinson Township

Robinson Township

Under the first partition what is now Robinson Township constituted the central portion of Lamotte Precinct, the name being changed when the county-seat was removed from Palestine to Robinson, which took its name from J. M. Robinson, a prominent lawyer of Carmi, White County. The new township was made up of 56 sections, of which 36 were part of T. 7 M., B. 12 W.; 18 sections in T. 6 N, B. 12 W.; three sections of T. 6 N. B. 13 W; and five sections of T. 7 N., R. 13 W. Sugar Creek, with two small affluents, Honey Creek and an arm of Big Creek, furnished the natural drainage of the township, and the surface of the county was originally partly "barrens" and partly "true prairie with evidence of devastation from sweeping fires. The first entries of land in Section 9, T. 7 N., R. 12 W., was made in 1817, by Jesse Page and Harmon Gregg. Others who came during the same year were W. T. Barry, Wilson Lagow, William Barbee, John Mars and William Mitchell. In 1818 there came to the same township James Newlin, John Hill, Thomas Young, Nathan Mars, Thomas Newlin, Joshua Barbee, William Dunlap, William Everman, James J. Nelson, Armstead Bennett, and William Nelson. In T. 6 N., R. 12, during the same year, land was entered by Charles Dawson and Richard Easton, and in 1819, by John and Jonathan Wood.

Others who made entries in 1818 were Ithra Brashears, Lewis Little and Barnett Starr. Some of these tracts were taken up for speculation, and other pre-emptors left after temporary sojourn, without securing titles, so that the above mentioned entries are not conclusive as to those permanently settling in Robinson Township in 1817-18. The Newlin family was one of the best known of the early settlers. Nathaniel, John and Eli, brothers, with their father, John Newlin, Sr, came from North Carolina, locating Indiana, whence they moved to Crawford County, establishing themselves on Section 10, T. 7 N. K. 12 W. It is probable that William Mitchell, an Englishman, was the first permanent settler of Robinson Township, his arrival occurring in 1817, and his subsequent life being spent there. From 1820, the year in which Enoch Wilhoit, another permanent settler, came from Kentueky, to 1830, there was little increase in the number of settlers. Occasionally a home- Seeker would come from some quarter, put up a log cabin, raise one crop and then depart, leaving an empty dwelling for the temporary shelter of another hardy pioneer. Among those utilizing abandoned dwellings in this way was John Nichols, who came from Virginia in 1830, and oceupied land which remained in the possession of his family for half a century. John Cable and John Givin, well known farmers, located near the village of Robinson about this period, and F. M. Brown, who arrived in 1832, was one of those who moved into a deserted cabin in that locality.

In 1833 arrived John Blankenship, a soldier of the War of 1812, and the cabin built by him was the first dwelling place on the site of the present town of Robinson. From this time until 1850 there were few "newcomers," but within a year or two after the latter date, the last of the public lands in the vicinity were taken up. The first settlers followed closely the termination of Indian hostilities, finding the redskins still camping in their accustomed haunts. At that day an Indian trail, well trodden, ran from Vineennes to Vandalia, through Palestine. The wagons conveying the families of the pioneers earried but scanty household effects, usually a couple of chairs, some bedding and provisions and a few tools. In the case of the Newlins, the household furniture consisted of three chairs, fastened to the feed-box of the wagon, and one of the first acts of Thomas Newlin, after placing the family under shelter, was to drive to Vincennes and buy a barrel of salt, costing $18, a cow and a calf, and certain implements for blacksmithing.

The ground was mostly covered with brush, making careful grubbing necessary to prepare for the plow. The Cary plow, the first in use in this region, was a crude implement of wood and iron, having a mold-board of hewed maple or beach, and a paddle was needed to.clean it after a few rods of furrowing. In some instances the first corn was planted by cutting through the sod with an ax. Thomas Newlin being a blacksmith, his forge was a great convenience to the pioneer farmers who came to him for miles around for tools, kitchen utensils, etc, and the making and sharpening of plows.

At this period wild deer were abundant, from 50 to 75 being often seen in one herd. At the outset they were killed by scores, and the venison thus supplied formed a very important item in the family support, while the proceeds derived from the sale of hides often furnished the means of paying taxes. Bears were also occasionally seen, wolves, panthers and wild cats were numerous, the wolves causing much trouble by preying upon the young stock, such as pigs, lambs, ealves and heifers. Many of the farmers bought Sheep from a drove driven to Palestine at an early period, and, in order to keep up the supply of wool for family needs, dogs were trained to guard the sheep fold from the ravages of wolves. Bees were very abundant, bee-hunting was a eommon oceupation, and beeswax and honey constituted a staple article of trade. Hollow trees were often found containing fifteen gallons of honey.

tribes, were generally on friendly terms with the whites. They lived in canvas wigwams, and traded game, dressed buckskins and furs for pork, bread, corn, etc. They seldom committed any robbery and whatever they purloined was something to satisfy their appetites for food or drink, when they had vainly sought to obtain the same articles by begging.

At this time córn was the main crop raised by the early settlers, and Vincennes, about thirty miles distant, was the only place to exchange it for certain provisions and articles of wear. At Shakerville, twenty miles away, was the nearest grist-mill, another being afterwards built in what is now Lawrence County on the Embarras River, about the same distance from Robinson. In quite a number of the rude log dwellings were mortars for making hominy. These cousisted of a block of wood, in the center of which a hollow had been burned or dug out, and over it a "sweep" hung, holding a heavy iron-faced pestle for pounding the corn. The first regular hand-mill was made by Jesse Page, which later was followed by a horse mill with a single gearing, constructed by William Barbee, in the center of the present township of Robinson. It was a boon to the pioneer residents and a profitable venture for Mr. Barbee. Some years later, when wheat constituted one of the ordinary crops, it was taken to the Shaker mill, or that owned by a Mr. Hollenbeck in York Township, which, however, did not screen the grain nor bolt the flour. Vats were sunk at a later period by Barbee for tanning hides, and Brown & Nichols also invented a sort of ooze, which was used by them a number of years, for tanning purposes. bee & Jolley built the first saw-mill in the township in 1849. Money was scarce, almost unknown, throughout the region, and all produce was disposed of by exchange. Every piece of coin was hoarded to make land payments, and the Crawford County taxes, amounting at an early period to about $60, were mostly met with coon-skins and wolf-scalps. The farmers drove their cattle and hogs at the outset to Lawrenceville, and later, to Hutsonville and Palestine, whence they were mostly shipped to New Orleans. Some corn was hauled to Chicago, and much beeswax, honey, tallow and fruit, the wagons returning with loads of salt. Cattle were sent at times to the Chicago market. When sold on the farms the prices were very low, a steer in fine condition bringing only about $7, and a cow and a calf from $5 to $6. As a matter of course, the family clothing was home-made, the women wearing "linsey woolsey," while the wore jeans faced with buckskin.