History of Delaware County, Iowa...Captain John F. Merry,
supervising ed. 2
vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914
William B. Robinson, one of the most prominent business
men of Delaware county, is identified with a number of enterprises, being president
of the Farmer's Savings Bank of Robinson and the Robinson Lumber & Grain
Company and also a director of the Ryan State Bank, while he and his sons own
and operate the Timber View Stock Farm, where they are engaged in breeding full
blooded short horn cattle. A native of Delaware county, Mr.
Robinson was born in Adams township, on he 12th of November, 1865, and he is a son of
William and Matilda Williamson Robinson. The father was a native of County Fermanagh, Ireland, and, coming to this country,
settled in Iowa many years ago. About the same time that he emigrated to the United States his wife also crossed the Atlantic from the Emerald isle, as she was born
in County Monaghan. They were married in Dubuque in
May, 1858, and became the parents of six children, namely Margaret, who married
William Carrothers and resides in Prairie township,
Eliza A., the wife of William Temple, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; James, deceased,
William B., of this review; Sarah, deceased; and Anthony T., manager of the
lumberyard at Robinson.
During his
boyhood and youth William B. Robinson attended the public schools in the
pursuit of an education and was also a student at Epworth Seminary for a time.
At an early age he became familiar with agricultural work and since attaining
manhood has continued to devote his energies to some phase of farming, being
known as one of the most successful breeders of full blooded shorthorn cattle
in the county. He owns three hundred and forty-eight acres of land situated
five and a half miles west of Ryan and one mile north of Robinson, his farm
being known as Timber View Stock Farm. The cattle which he breeds command
the highest price on the market and are eligible for registration. Roan
Masterpiece, No. 369000, a grandson of the international champion, Cumberland's Last, is at the head of the herd.
As stock breeders, Mr. Robinson and his sons are widely known throughout Iowa and the volume of their business is
constantly increasing. Our subject is a thoroughly practical man, of good
business and executive ability, and usually carries forward to successful
completion whatever he undertakes. As president of the Farmers Savings Bank of
Robinson and the Robinson Lumber & Grain Company he has greatly promoted
the business interests of the town of Robinson.
On the
25th of February, 1892, Mr. Robinson was united in marriage to Miss Mary A.
Swindle, a daughter of Anthony and Lucy (Norris) Swindle, both natives of Ireland. Her father was born in County Fermanagh, March 11, 1826, while the mother's birth occurred
in County Cork. It was in January, 1847, that
Anthony Swindle landed in the new world and for a time he made his home in New Jersey, from which state he removed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he resided for a number of
years. In 1852 he came to Iowa, arriving in Delaware county on
the 8th of March, and about nine years later his future wife located here. They
were married in Quasqueton on the
9th of April, 1863, and became the parents of eight children, of whom seven, five sons and
two daughters, are still living, Mrs. Robinson, being the
eldest. The others are Frank, a resident of Beldon,
Nebraska; Bessie, who is the widow of William Henderson and resides with her
mother in Adams
township; Charles, a resident of Cleghorn, Iowa;
Anthony J., of Tacoma, Washington; William H., of Earlville, Iowa and Dr.
Robert N. of Chicago. During the Civil
War Mr. Swindle enlisted in the Fourth Iowa Infantry and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. After a
useful and well spent life he passed away on the 1st of
November, 1906. His widow still survives and makes her home on the old homestead.
The
children born to Mr and Mrs
Robinson are: Byron, now assistant cashier of the Greeley Savings Bank of Greeley,
Iowa; Milton, at home; Anthony, attending high school at Manchester; Lucy, who
was graduated from the Manchester high school and received a scholarship to
Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, where she is now a freshman, and Lloyd
who is also a high school student at Manchester.
By his
ballot Mr. Robinson also supports the men and measures of the Republican party and for 9 years he acceptably served as County Supervisor. He has likewise held a number
of local offices. In 1890 he arranged to have a post office established, being
known as the Silver Creek Post Office, and he was appointed postmaster in June
of that year, continuing to hold the office for nine years. It was afterward
discontinued and in 1898 the rural route was established which was one of the
first in this section of the state. Fraternally Mr. Robinson is connected with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.
His energy and ability have contributed much toward the development of his
section of the county and as a businessman and citizen he is held in the
highest esteem.
Back
to Biographies
Back to Main Page
Back to Iowa AHGP
Back to AHGP