Robinson Township

Robinson Township

Is probably one of the oldest townships in the County, having been formed in the first days of the Territory's history, the exact time not being known, as there is no record in possession of the County in reference to its organization. Enough is known, however, for stating that it was named after Jonathan Robinson, a man who was prominently identified with that section of the County in the "days of long ago." The fact that nothing can be found regarding the formation of the township tends to confirm the opinion that all documentary evidence concerning this and the other townships that existed before those that are now comprised in the County was destroyed at Vincennes in January, 1814, when the office of the Register of the Territorial Land Department, with its contents, was burned. The Legislature, by an act passed September 7, 1814, appointed Benjamin Parke, John D. Hay and Nathaniel Ewing, Commissioners, to receive and record evidence relating to all papers involving titles to lands that were jeopardized by the loss of all instruments of writing consequent upon the destruction of the Register's office. The population of this township is largely composed of Germans, who have made it one of the most productive quarters of the County. No township, taken on the whole, is a source of greater pride to the County than this. Its schools are of a superior character, its people are thrifty and law abiding and its sanitary condition is superb. Hon. Wm. Heilman, now a member of Congress from the First Congressional District of Indiana, spent the first years of his residence in the United States in this township. In 1880 there were 9,323 acres of land under cultivation in Robinson, the yield of wheat and corn averaging, respectively, fifteen and thirty-five bushels per acre.

Source changes here: from History of Posey County, Indiana, by Leffel, John C., B, published 1913; 1,240 words in this source stream.

Robinson Township

The exact time when this township was organized is not known, but it is undoubtedly one of the oldest townships in the county, as it was formed in the first days of the territory's history. There is no record in possession of the county telling of its organization. It was named after Jonathan Robinson, who was prominently identified with the public affairs of that section in the early days.

Very few land entries were made within the present township previous to 1820. owing to the fact that there was plenty of desirable land subject to entry nearer the market, but finally a great influx of Germans began to pour into this county and, large areas of land being still unoccupied in this township, they soon began to settle in that locality. The greater portion of the population of the township now consists of Germans. The land entries prior to 1820 were: William Dodge, in 1817: William Rodgers, 1818; Ajax Campbell, 1818; Charles Kimball. 1818; Ezekiel Dukes, 1818; Rezin Halsell, 1816; Isaac Slover, 1819; David Murphy, 1819; John Crunk, 1818; Josiah Denney, 1814; Joel Pruitt, 1818; Thomas Halsell, 1817; William Holson, 1819; Alexander S. Morrow, 1818, and Samuel Barton, 1816.

William Dodge entered land in 1817 and built a horse mill on his farm near Blairsville. Charles Kimball obtained permission from the county commissioners to build a mill at the bridge where the Evansville and New Harmony road crosses Big creek and that is supposed to be about the date of the building of his mill.

As these mills had a capacity of from fifteen to twenty-five bushels a day, the miller was compelled to carry on some other kind of business in connection with his mill to support his family. In a great many cases small distilleries were run in connection with them.

The region around Blairsville has been called the Mecca of Geologists, being rich in fossils, yielding argillaceous shales containing fossil ferns, and other coal plants, and a thin layer of coal and Sigillaria Oweni of large size. The region has been visited by many eminent scientists, including Dr. Owen, William McClure, Sir Charles Lyell, Thomas Say, Pratten, Worthen, L. Lesquereux, Norwood Shumard, Dr. Troost, E. T. Cox and others.

This church is one of the earliest established in Posey county. It is located south of the center of Robinson township. Seventy years ago this location was selected by the first German Evangelical settlers and founders of Zion's Church. The membership includes Parker's Settlement, Blairsville, Caborn, St. Philips and vicinity. The local name "Lippe" was given to this church and community by its early members from Lippe, Germany. The early records of the congregation at this place date back to 1842.

Six miles east, on the New Harmony road in Vanderburg county, there was a small congregation already in existence. The pastor of this church, named Krassauer, came from time to time to do pastoral work. Services were held in a nearby district school house. And as all these settlers had come from good Christian communities in the old country, the opportunity of worshipping God in their accustomed way seems to have been highl}' appreciated.

The fathers of this church, however, soon realized that a school house could not properly be turned into a house of worship and laid plans for the future. An organization was formed and a suitable place for the location of a church building was considered. As a result, an acre and a half of land was bought for $18 and is now occupied by the graveyard and the parsonage. Additions have been made to this land, so that at present the site comprises over six acres.

After Rev. Krassauer's services, between two and three years. Rev. Zaupert, stationed at Evansville, Ind.. attended to the pastoral work for one year. He was succeeded by Rev. Lauer, pastor of St. John's Evangelical Church at Evansville, for two years. During his pastorate a more complete constitution was adopted and the organization was made permanent. For the last time, in 1848, Zion was found in want of a neighboring pastor's services. Rev. Dulitz, on the New Harmony road, took up the work here and carried it on for about one year.

In 1849 with the general tide of immigration came a bright and well educated Christian young man, Mr. Austmann, from Lippe, in Germany. His ability as well as his qualifications for evangelistic work found the approval of Zion's members. Upon application he was ordained to the ministry by the German Evangelical Synod of North America. This marks the very first occasion of Zion's Church coming into touch with an organized church body, while so far it had worked its course as an individual or free Protestant congregation. In 185 1 it formally joined this body and has ever since held its membership with this church. All its pastors for the past sixty-three years were members of the same church.

Of the twelve men who have served as pastors all but three have gone to their reward. L. Schmidt, G. Tillmanns and C. G. Kettelhut still are in active service. Rev. C. F. Warth died September i8, 1884, while in his pastorate at the congregation. His remains, as well as those of his wife and a grown son, are interred at the congregation's cemetery.

In 1850 the congregation built its first parsonage, a log building, for Rev. Austmann. When a few years later it was destroyed by fire the congregation rebuilt it at once. Early in the '50s we notice the first efforts toward the establishinent and maintenance of a regular parochial school. The first teacher, Mr. Stahlschmidt, was engaged. When in 1856 the congregation had to build a larger and more commodious frame church, the old log church was remodeled into a school building and served its purpose up to 1865, in which year a spacious frame building was put up for $600. This school has flourished from that time, having at times an enrollment of nearly 100 pupils. In this school not only German Bible history, but also all the various elementary studies of our common schools are taught. Besides the teacher above mentioned we find the names of the following men on the record, some of whom have for a number of years continually taught this school: H. Weiss, A. C. Walther, George Appel, Henry Scherer, Ernst Wandtke. In 1904, for the lack of proper interest, the school was discontinued and the school building was torn down in 1912.

We might conclude that these people in their pioneer days, some of them with large families to support, might have been taxed to the limit of their means in keeping up with the running expenses of their own church and school ; but to convince us that even in those early days of comparatively meager means a lively sense of Christian sympathy and brotherly love had been cultivated and manifested.

To show the spirit of loyalty with which the church has been supported a few figures may be produced from the records. We shall take the years from 1858 to 1865, bearing in mind that two years previous a new church had been built, and in the last year of this period a school building finished, we find that Zion's congregation in these eight years, through collections and personal offerings, raised $1,781.44, including nominal sums for deprived families of Union soldiers on the battle field.