Theodore Robinson

A good find online through Google books!
ROBINSON,THEODORE BENTON - ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HISTORY OF MISSOURI by Howard Louis Conard
http://books.google.com/books?id=ShTVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA382&lpg=PA382&ots=rpdKE_Rqut&dq=Philip+Robinson+missouri&output=text#c_top
Robinson, Theodore Benton, lawyer and jurist, was born three miles east of Farmington, St. Francois County, Missouri, April 3, 1837, and died August 6, 1900, at Tuscumbia, Missouri. He was the son of Philip R. and Mary M. (Moore) Robinson. The genealogy of the Robinson family in America shows that early in the history of the country, members of the different branches of that family left England, and some settled in the New England country, and others in the Virginias. When Kentucky was first settled members of the Virginia family of Robinsons settled there, and some of their descendants attained prominence in the affairs of the nation, notably John M. Robinson, who was born in Kentucky in 1793, and who was a member of the United States Senate from 1831 to 1841, and was one of the Supreme Court justices of Illinois.
John Robinson was another member of this family, born in Kentucky, where he married Miss Barnett, a member of an old Virginia family. One of their sons was Philip Raiford Robinson, who was born February 26, 1797. When their son was six years old—in 1803— the parents removed to Louisiana Territory and located upon land granted to John Robinson, three miles east of the present site of Farmington, now in St. Francois County, being first among the pioneers of that section. There Philip R. Robinson grew to manhood and married Mary M. Moore, daughter of Seth and Mary (McFarland) Moore, of eastern Tennessee, who settled in what is now St. Francois County about 1810. Theodore B. Robinson was the third son of this union, and three years after his birth his parents removed to Cape Girardeau, where they resided until 1851, when they became residents of Miller County, locating eight miles south of Tuscumbia, at Little Richwoods. Here their son attended the public schools and received instruction at home from his parents, who imbued their son with the fear and love of God, and instilled in his mind the truths of the Holy Scriptures. The new country, with plenty of hunting, fishing and other sturdy exercises, was favorable to the development of both mental and physical powers. Young Robinson was raised a good Democrat, as well as a good Christian. In 1860 he cast his first presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas. In June, 1861, he enlisted in McClurg's Home Guards and was appointed sergeant. The Home Guards disbanding January 16, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company H, Sixth Regiment Missouri Cavalry, and served until February 16, 1865, when he was mustered out at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was in the battle of Pea Ridge, serving on the left flank, served in the campaign at Vicksburg, in the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson and Champion Hill, was at the second battle of Jackson, Mississippi, and was in Banks' Louisiana campaign, known as the Red River campaign. Throughout his service he ne.ver had a day's furlough or entered the hospital. When Lincoln was nominated the second time, at the election he received the vote of Soldier Robinson. After the close of the war Mr. Robinson returned to Miller County, and in 1866, as a candidate of the Republican party, was elected clerk of the county and circuit courts, was re-elected in 1870 and 1874, serving in both offices for twelve years. Having been admitted to the bar in September, 1878, in 1880 he was elected prosecuting attorney and again elected to that office in 1886. In 1896 he was a candidate for the Legislature on the Democratic Fusion ticket and was counted out by seven votes. Previous to this Miller County gave from 300 to 500 Republican majority. During the 1896 campaign Mr. Robinson was a staunch supporter of Bryan, and later advocated the Democratic platform of the Chicago convention. September 15, 1899, upon the resignation of Judge Shackleford to accept a seat in Congress succeeding the late Richard Bland, Governor Stephens appointed Mr. Robinson Judge Shackleford's successor as Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Missouri to serve until the election in 1900. Judge Robinson while believing the Spanish-American War for the liberation of Cuba just and humane, disapproved as disgraceful to our country and wholly unrighteous the war in the Philippines. He was married, March 26, 1865, to Miss Martha C.Hawkins, who died in June, 1868. Of this union one daughter was born, his only child, who became Mrs. Mary Olive Moles, with whom the judge made his home in later years. In 1870 he married for his second wife Mrs. Parthenia J. (Burks) McCarty, who died June 27, 1893. Judge Robinson was a member of the Disciples or Christian Church, of which he became a communicant in 1880. In 1868 he became a Free and Accepted Mason at Mount Pleasant, Missouri, and was Master of Tuscumbia Lodge when it was under a dispensation and for several years in the seventies when under charter. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Jefferson City Chapter. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic. He passed through the various stages of life in Miller County, winning his way, attaining influence and gaining the respect of his fellow citizens by merit alone. He was an active man almost to the time of his death and in the fruition of a well spent life, was well prepared to start down the decline gracefully and contentedly.

Getting kids interested

I'm trying to think of a way to interest the kids in their family history. I have an idea for making a little book or album with a selection of the more interesting characters, one per page, with a photo and a few lines about that person. Or, alternatively, a similar album, but focusing on one family line from the oldest known ancestor and a page for one person from each generation down to the present.

Photos!

At the bottom of this page there are some old family photos. Click the Flickr link to see all the old photos I have posted on Flickr. I will be adding more soon.

Gamache in Missouri

Found quite a bit more about the Gamache line through Ancestry and Google today. Got to practice my French (pretty rusty) while reading the Catholic church records of baptisms and marriages, of course in old style script too. I've made a lot of progress in piecing the family together. Check out this US Supreme Court case from 1838 regarding a land dispute over a large tract of land that once belonged to Jean Baptiste Gamache through a Spanish land grant. http://supreme.justia.com/us/37/410/. I also found that a Gamache descendant and researcher recently published a book on the Gamache genealogy - See the book on Amazon. I'm looking forward to reading this.

The Gamache line came from France to Quebec, and then Jean Baptiste Gamache went to the area that would become St Louis, Missouri. He was one of the founding settlers there. In 1776, King Charles III of Spain ordered a land route to stimulate commerce between the trading posts of St Louis and Ste Genevieve. Subsequently, the Lt Governor of Louisiana, Francois Cruzat, offered 1050 arpents of land (about 893 acres) to anyone who would build and operate a ferry across the Meramec. Jean Baptiste Gamache completed the project in 1776 and established what was known as the lower ferry. Gamache's ferry was part of the King's Trace or El Camino Real (the Royal Road). After 1850, this route became known as Telegraph Road because the first telegraph line in Missouri followed the route with the first poles embedded along the old trail. Gamache was one of, if not the first permanent settlers in the Arnold area. He claimed the 1050 arpents of land and settled and cultivated land in the area until 1780, when he was ordered away on account of Indian disturbances. He went to the village of Carondolet (later part of St Louis) where he lived until his death in 1805.