![[Robinson Cousin Homestead logo]](images/Robinson_barn_small_washout_text_6.jpg)
|
|
|
Notes Dated 1940 - 1951; told by Charles Robinson to (daughter) Lois Robinson Dougherty More from the memoirs of Lois Robinson Dougherty All information taken down at times when dad felt like talking. It is all practically quoted. Have used quotation marks and the word "Quote" when his exact words were used. His mind was excellent until the last six weeks of his life when he was ill and in part unconscious. Robinson Family History: as remembered and told to his daughter, Lois Robinson Doughtery, by father Charles B. Robinson David and Nancy Robinson came from Buncombe County, Long Branch, North Carolina and settled in Jackson County on Big Wild Dog Creek. There were three brothers. David and Nancy had Honifer, Elijah, Bill and James Osborne were sons. Daughters were: Minerva, Betsy, and Polly. Minerva married Jerry Fowler (our mother's oldest brother); Betsy married George Rader; Polly married Julius Spivey. Osborne married Margaret Hughes. To this union were born Kizzie, Charles, M.T., Martha, and Caleb. All Grandpa Osborne's children dearly loved to go to the home of Aunt Polly Spivey. They would take it Saturday night about going. Osborne's children married: Kizzie to her cousin, Billy Robinson; Charles to Betty Fowler; M.T. ("Uncle T.") to Frances Venable; Martha to General Madden; Caleb to Emily Madden, sister of General. They had one child and separated and Caleb later married Bessie Smith of Cartersville, Ky. Grandpa said it was not unusual to stand and count 25 deer when they first came to Wild Dog. Game was plentiful. Hogs fattened on "mast," chestnuts and acorns, and used hollow trees for their beds. Julius Spivey's son, Butler, or Bud as he was often called, and dad were very close chums while they were growing up, and many the prank and good time they enjoyed in their young days. Bud and dad (Charles) often went to mill nine or ten miles away. Dad's eyes twinkled when he remembered these trips. What fun it was to take the "turns" (corn) to be ground. They put their corn in sacks and threw it across the mule's back, and it was divided so that the corn was balanced on each side of the mule and rode behind the boys. "We didn't have tomatoes in that day. We ate meat - hog, deer, bear, squirrels, wild turkeys, rabbit, and wild pigeons. All were plentiful for the shooting. We raised beans, corn, turnips, cabbage, pumpkins, onions and lettuce. The women dried beans, fruit, and pumpkins. Made sauer kraut in barrels for winter. We buried cabbage and turnips, and often 'holed up' or buried apples for winter eating. I can remember seeing as high as three deers on the back porch, slaughtered, ready to be eaten. Our first tomatoes were very small and with many on a vine. No one ever ate them." Great-grandfather
- David Robinson; Great grandmother - Nancy Charles B. Robinson was born to James Osborne and Margaret H. Robinson on January 6, 1861. He married Betty Fowler on September 27, 1883, at head of Wind Cave Branch, ceremony performed by a fellow by name of Lakes - a magistrate. Quote Dad, "When we got there, he was out squirrel hunting. We just waited until he come in and he married us. We went on to Sturgeon that night." (To dad's home - James Osborne Robinson.) "We went to housekeeping in a log cabin in Owsley county, cabin belonged to John Allumball. We had two home made bedsteads, made by old uncle Martin Cook - pretty good bedsteads. He also made us a table and six chairs. We drove pegs in the logs and laid boards across to form shelves for our dishes. Betty had plenty of bed clothes and her mother gave some things for the new home. I traded for two hogs that fall to make our winter's meat. Raised me a crop of wheat that year so had plenty of flour for bread. "Your mother belonged to the South Fork Baptist Church. The next fall I joined the church and was baptized. The Church later went under (discontinued). The South Fork is a fork of Station Camp. "I met your mother at a meeting at New Zion, in Jackson county, which is between Wild Dog and War Fork - prong of Station Camp. Your mother came riding horse back with Uncle Jerry Fowler's girl; was accompanied by an Isaacs fellow. I managed to get around and make a date with her as soon as I could for the next afternoon meeting. And she agreed. We both fell for each other from first sight. Next day, on Monday morning, she rode away home. I went to see her before long at Salt Rock place. She was well dressed and a beautiful girl." From there, at their first meeting place, he went to his cousin's, and favorite boyhood pal - Butler Spivey - son of Aunt Polly Robinson Spivey. Jim Spivey and David Robinson, dad's grandfather, were first settlers on Big Wild Dog creek. They lived about one half mile apart. Jim was Julius Spivey's father, Butler's grandfather. No other people lived on Big Wild Dog from head to mouth of it. Next closest neighbor was Fieldon Isaacs over on Turkey Foot. David Robinson came from Buncombe County, on Long Branch, in North Carolina. Three brothers came along. A brother Bill settled in Clay county, or close by. John later was in the show business of the famous Robinson Show. David's children: Honifer, Berry, Niga (Adonijah), Bill, James Osborne - the youngest. The mother of these children died and was buried in North Carolina when James Osborne was a baby. David's children by last wife, who was a Carter: Henry, Minerva, Betty, Polly. These half sisters of James Osborne's married as follows: Minerva married Jerry Fowler (mother's brother); Betty married George Rader; Polly married Julius Spivey - parents of Butler, who was dad's best friend as long as they lived. Butler married his and dad's cousin - a daughter of Jerry and Minerva Fowler. Her name was Nancy Jane. James Osborne Robinson married Margaret Hughes, who was the daughter of Jake Hughes and Kizzie Witt - who came from Knox county, near Barbourville, KY. To James Osborne and Margaret were born these children: Kizzie, Charles B., M.T., Martha, and Caleb S. When James Osborne Robinson came from North Carolina he was too small to remember - being the youngest member of that group of settlers. He was a baby. "To get to grandfather David's place, go to McKee, county seat of Jackson County, turn to left up Bill's branch." Dad's uncles: Niggie (Adonijah), Honifer, Berry, Billy. Billy lived and died in Laurel county just across the Rockcastle River. Uncle Berry lived in Estill county; "He was noted for his sterling character and honesty." All these uncles were straight hard working honest men. Quote Daddy Charles: "Two things I remember about my granddaddy David: He had white bantam chickens - pets. They would come hop up on his bed and crow when he was sick just a while before he died; and he gave my daddy some sheep before he died." Dad tells of buying the Step Stove: "Pleas Strong went with us to buy our first stove. It was a step stove. Pleas seldom went on a "spree" but he took one on this trip. A dandy one. After we bought our things and started back home, in just a few miles, Pleas decided he must go back for some more liquor. He was gone so long I went back after him. It was Pleas Strong's wagon and team, so we could not go off and leave him behind. Your mother waited at Dan Ward's. Finally after a lot of persuasion and trouble, gathering up Pleas' money which he had scattered over the store - I got him back to Dan Ward's. We got back home that same day with the new stove. There was plenty of utensils furnished with the stove. We bought some other household items on this trip." Dad tells of Hunter's Oak: "I knew this oak more than 80 years ago. Everybody knows about it. It is an interesting tree, stands between Sinking Branch and Ross' Creek. Me and my sister, Kizzie used to walk the 10 or 12 miles to Uncle Bill Spivey (married dad's mother's sister) past the Hunter's oak. She was about 12 and I was about 9 years old. There was always a few deers on Sinking Branch. It is a long branch. We would go down past the Old Orchard. Then there was a few tumbled down houses and old trees. The place still bears the name - Old Orchard. The Hunter's Oak is a noted tree." Bill Brandau - present forester - has been to Hunter's Oak many times. It was still standing in 1947. Dad's first train ride was when he was grown up. He rode from Livingston to Pine Hill. They were living in Laurel county then. May 15, 1948 - Dad reminiscing to me, John (Lois' husband) gone to Masonic Lodge: "One week Cynthia and Jim Webb (Cynthia was mother's sister) sent word they were coming the following Sunday to spend the day with your mother and me. That morning, I got up early and took my gun and went up on the bench above the house in the Old Hollow, in Estill County. I killed nine squirrels for dinner. We were just getting them dressed when they come. I always done that job. I took them to the branch and cleaned them good there. We had the best mess. Your mother fixed everything else - cake, pie, bread, beans and the squirrels. Jim and "Cint" were both the best of company. Jim was antic and "Cint" full of devilment." (His eyes fairly danced as he recalled this happy time.) Dad recalls experience with wild pigeons: "I have seen thousands of wild pigeons. We would go to their roosting place, where their weight was often so heavy it broke down limbs of the timber. We would get as many of them as we wanted to eat. I used to see a drove of them come walking through the woods when I was just a little boy. I'd go ahead of them, right in their path and cover myself up with leaves, thinking they would go over me and I could reach out and grab me one, but they always went around me. I couldn't fool them." (This story of the wild pigeons published in magazine section of [Louisville] Courier Journal, 1951) Dad's reminiscing - March 25, 1951: "Good Friday was the day we always planted our flax. We got the ground ready before and regardless of the weather, we sowed our flax on Good Friday. "When flax is ready to cut, we cut it and layed it down to let the inside rot. Then it had to be broke and heckled, then spun and wove. My mother (Margaret) could weave 5 yards of plain cloth a day, not that much if she wove striped cloth. She often wove till 10 o'clock at night. I held the pine torch for her so she could see. A pair of tow breeches would wear for two or three years. The inside wove finer cloth sheets and pillow cases and shirts and such." Another night - remembering in front of the open fire on Center Street: "Once when I was a small boy, about 7 years old I guess, I went with my sister Kizzie to Greenhall in Jackson county, to Uncle Merida Hughes' store. He made us take dinner with him that day. Kizzie bought her a new dress pattern that day with a pretty H-shaped design in it. We bought some candy and a few groceries. We walked the 7 miles there and the 7 miles back that day. I wore a new pair of coonskin moccasins that Mose Brewer (Bill Brewer's father) had made me - nice ones too, laced up the front and dyed black. Mose was a shoe maker." April 30, 1951: Grandpa Osborne - always called Pap by grandchildren, was in 13 big battles of the Civil War on the Union side - he served in the famous 8th Kentucky. "At Murphysborough, Tenn. was where he got his cartridge belt shot off him. He ran to get behind a big rock and he no more than got there till at least a thousand bullets hit the rock. Guess the Rebels sure would have got him if that rock hadn't been there. "At Stone River, Tenn. was another awful hard battle. They sent the 8th KY out in a big corn field to draw the Rebels out where they were in a Cedar thicket. They, the 8th KY, went out and down in the River bed so the cannon could shoot over them. The Rebels fell for the scheme and came out and the cannon cut down the Rebels. The cannons were loaded with bullets and pieces of chain. The river ran with blood for two hours and with bodies of dead Union and Rebel soldiers, Pap said. The dead were thick floating down the river. The 8th KY men waded the river three times to draw the Rebels out. Water was up under their arms. It liked to have cleaned out the 8th KY., this battle did, and had to call for reinforcements." Sitting on the back porch - dad in pajamas and I just listening. It was the Fowler reunion day - August 19, 1951 - Dad was too sick (his last illness) for us to go: "When my daddy sold out on Wild Dog, he bought 120 acres on South Fork about 1 1/2 miles down the creek from John Will Abram's store. We built a new house. There was not any of the 120 acres cleared up, had big thick poplar and black walnut trees. We made rails for the fence out of black walnut for the fences for the place. We cleared 20 acres that first year. The soil was rich and black as your hat. There was no sale for the timber. We felled oak trees across the creek so we could cross on a log when the creek was up. The neighborhood was fairly thick settled. Bicknells, Frank and Sis Hays were neighbors. "We moved after awhile to Laurel county, after two or three years. Stayed there awhile, then my father (Osborne) bought a place back in Jackson and we went there. This move to South Fork was when I was just about grown. Our house was 1/2 mile from the road. Me and Butler Spivey went somewhere and were coming home. A deep snow had fell - it was knee deep. After we left the road our feet frost bit getting to the house through that deep snow. It was clear and mighty cold, and the road not broke after we left the highway. "The biggest rattle snake I ever killed, I killed it close to the house there. We were on the front porch of our log house, and heard the little white dog trailing something - it barked every once in a while. Then right above the house, we heard the old snake go to singing. Went there, and there it was - it was a big as my leg, had 16 rattles. I killed another one once in hoeing out corn over on Cavender in a new ground. It was under some little hickory sprouts. Davy Fowler was hoeing the row above me and I had hoed past the sprouts but he struck them with his hoe and the snake begin to rattle. I said, Davy, get back, there's a rattler under that bunch of sprouts. I struck my old goose neck hoe up under and it struck and its head come out so I whacked it off with my hoe. It had 16 rattles too, but it wasn't quite as big a snake as the one I killed on South Fork. We were working out a preacher's crop for him. He had been holding a revival meeting and got behind when we killed the big rattler on Cavender." Dad's Rememberings that last Summer of 1951: "I don't believe anybody will ever live to see as many changes as I have. When I was a boy, we had no matches, no cook stoves, but we cooked over the open fire on the fireplace. "We raised flax and sheep and wove our own cloth of all kinds. We rode on horse back and in sleds that we made by hand. "We killed fat sheep and rendered out the tallow and made our own candles in candle molds. We saved our candles for best occasions and burned pine torches other times." This was the Last of His Rememberings - he died on Sept. 23, 1951. His mind was always clear and wonderful memory was his. Note: The last few years dad lived his often went back over the years and he told me some priceless little gems from his long life. At times, I would grab a pencil and take down in his own words these events as he remembered them. What I missed writing down, I don't remember well enough to relate. I regret I did not write many more of them down. He lived almost 91 years. He grew gentle and more lovable with each passing year. His mind was clear as a bell until the last few weeks when he was so desperately ill and in pain. His mind was a rich treasury of pioneer history as he knew and lived it. Until the last 4 weeks of his life, he had few sick spells, he was active, and although he had lived through the tragedy of the loss of our mother and the breaking up of a second home and marriage, he never was sour and bitter. He was vitally interested in current history, he read and listened to news daily, keeping informed and up to date on world affairs. He was a benediction and a blessing in our home and we miss him sorely. He had a great love for little children. His interest in birds and flowers and little household tasks made him a dear companion in the house. He helped with breaking beans, paring fruit for canning, dried the dishes, etc. He grew fonder of all family ties. A visit from a child or grandchild would give him a "lift" for days. He was particularly fond of babies. Children of Charles and Betty Fowler Robinson: Margaret Robinson |
|
|
|
|
Top - Home - Genealogy - History - Records - Photographs - Cemeteries - Find A Cousin - Forum - Links - Books - Awards |
|
Information
on this website has been contributed by the Robinson Cousins. For details
on lineage and contact information for individual Cousins, see the directory.
License is granted to use information on this site for personal research
purposes only. Any commercial use of personal information or non-public
domain material is prohibited. This site may be freely linked to on a
not-for-profit basis. Linking to any of these pages by a fee-based organization
is prohibited. Please contact me
if you wish to republish or discuss any material contained within this
website. Photo of David Robinson farm, Jackson Co., KY and Robinson Cousin
Homestead logo copyrighted by
Laura Altevers, 2002 |