Untitled From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 484-486

WILLIAM J. ROBINSON, a stock and grain farmer of the town of Platteville, Grant county, has all his life been associated with the agricultural interests of the southwestern part of the State, and is a man whose years and character alike command respect.

Mr. ROBINSON was born March 30, 1847, on the farm on which he is now living, son of William and Mary S. (McBRIDE) ROBINSON, and grandson of Mark ROBINSON, who came to America, and is buried in Grant county. The maternal grandparents were John (Sr.) and Rosa McBRIDE, natives of Ireland, where they were married in 1818; she was born in 1798, and died at Elk Grove, Wis., Aug. 26, 1883. Our subject's father was born in Yorkshire, England, Sept. 22, 1811, and the mother was born in New York in 1824. In 1837 William ROBINSON came to Grant county, Wis., where he rented a farm for a few years, and, when warranted by his financial condition, he bought the present homestead. It consisted at that time of about two hundred acres, to which he added 150 acres by subsequent purchases. In 1851 he erected a brick house, and put up fine barns and other buildings, his property being now one of the finest and most attractive farms in Grant county. In 1866 he moved to Platteville, and lived retired having accumulated a very handsome competence, and he was regarded as a man of means in the community. In 1840 he married Miss Mary S. McBRIDE, who died May 1867, and he survived until June, 1886. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom seven are living. In 1868 Mr. ROBINSON married Nancy BLALOCK, of Platteville, who is still living; she is the mother of four children, three now living. Mr. and Mrs. ROBINSON were members of the Episcopal Church, and were regarded as among the best people of the community. A brief mention of the children is herewith given:

(1) Sarah A., born in May, 1841, married Peter J. WALKER, and lives at Algona, Iowa. (2) Eliza J., born in March, 1843, is the wife of John HUNTINGTON, of Luverne, Minn. (3) Mary E., born in May, 1845, was the wife of A. W. BELL, now deceased, a prominent lawyer of Milwaukee; they were living at Platteville at the time of her death, Oct. 3, 1886. They were the parents of three children, Jennie B., Ora (wife of Jesse S. JONES, Jr., of Platteville), and Robert C. (4) William J. is the subject of this article. (5) Rosanna died in 1869, when a young woman. (6) James, born in July, 1851, died in childhood. (7) Richard H., born in July, 1854, married Etta ROBINSON, and they live at Richland Center, Wis. (8) Robert S., born Oct. 18, 1856, died in childhood. (9) Helena L., born in February, 1861, is the wife of James JONES, and has four children, Clyde, Willie, Ina E. and Raymond. They live at Atchison, Kans. (10) Emma E. born in October, 1864, is the wife of Fred PAUSCH, of Atchison, an engineer on the railroad, and has one son, Frederick. (11) Margaret L., born Feb. 12, 1867, lost her mother soon after she was born, and was reared in the home of her sister, Mrs. Eliza J. HUNTINGTON; she is now the wife of William WRIGHT, a merchant of Luverne, Minn. and has one son, Stewart. Of the children born to the second marriage, Benjamin S., the eldest, as born in January, 1870, and died when a young man; he was a student of the Platteville Normal, and had a bright future before him. Nora A., born in April, 1876, is a graduate of the Normal. Ida R., born in May, 1878, is a student at the same school, as is also Lillie A., born in October, 1882.

William J. ROBINSON obtained his education in the Platteville public school, and when he became a young man rented his father's farm, which he cultivated for nineteen years. After the death of his father he purchased the interest of the other heirs in the family homestead, and now owns a handsome and well-appointed farm of 350 acres. On March 29, 1877, Mr. ROBINSON married Mrs. Elizabeth (ATKINSON) JOHNSON, daughter of Archibald and Phyllis (ADAMS) ATKINSON, and widow of William E. JOHNSON. Her parents were born in England, in 1870 and 1808, respectively, came to America in 1834, locating in Dubuque, Iowa, then removed to Illinois, and in 1843 came to Wisconsin, settling at Hazel Green. Archibald ATKINSON died April 12, 1880, at Hazel Green and Phyllis ATKINSON on Nov. 3, 1895, at Minneapolis. They reared a family of eight children: (1) John, born in England April 29, 1832, married Miss Annie ROBERTS April 29, 1869, at Hazel Green; they are now living at Hampton, Iowa, and are the parents of five children. (2) Mary, born in New York July 7, 1834, is the wife of Rev. John HOOPER, of Minneapolis. (3) Joseph, born in Iowa Feb. 18, 1837, is now a resident of Hampton, that State. He married Miss Annie LUKEY, of Hazel Green, and they have five children. (4) Isabel, born Nov. 1, 1839, near Chicago, married E. M. SANDFORD, of East Dubuque, and has three children. (5) Catherine, born near Chicago Nov. 20, 1842, married Robert GALE, of Colorado Springs, Colo., where he is a contractor and builder. They have three sons. (6) Archie, born at Hazel Green Feb. 20, 1844, married Miss Hester LORY, of Platteville, and has five children. They now have their home in Minneapolis. (7) Elizabeth, wife of our subject, was born at Hazel Green May 6, 1846, and was educated in the Platteville Academy. (8) Phyllis A., born on the old homestead at Hazel Green Dec. 12, 1848, is the wife of Edward BEARD, of Britt, Iowa, and has seven children.

William ATKINSON, Mrs. ROBINSIN's paternal grandfather, was a native of England, where he died. His wife's name was Catherine. Their children were: Elizabeth, born May 27, 1792; Ralph, April 13, 1794; William, June 24, 1796; Mary, Dec. 9, 1798; Eleanor, May 26, 1801; John, Dec. 8, 1894; Archibald, Feb. 8, 1807; Thomas, March 8, 1809; Henry, June 1, 1812.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. ROBINSON came to the old homestead, where they have lived to the present time. This is one of the most desirable properties of Grant county. They have two children, a son and a daughter: Ernest E., born Dec. 19, 1877, resides with his parents; he has had a good education, and is a young man of character and enterprise. M. Estella, born Nov. 29, 1879, was educated at the Platteville Normal School, graduated with the class of 1900, and is now teaching at Fennimore. By her first marriage Mrs. ROBINSON had one son, William E., who died Oct. 25, 1898, while serving in the Spanish-American war. Mr. ROBINSON is a Republican, and has been supervisor for twelve years. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck