Wenona, Marshall, Illinois and the Abiathar Smith Robinson Family Who Lived There

Nadene Goldfoot
                                                                 

When the town was laid out in May 1855 it had nine houses and a population of 50.   The land was drained and trees were planted and the town began to grow.

By 1856, there were 1,200  people, 300  homes, 2 churches,3 schools, a hotel and a sawmill. The  town was incorporated in 1859 by a vote of 28 to 3.  The first trustees were Solomon Wise, George Brockway, John B. Newburn, F.H. Bond and Emanuel Weltz.

In 1858 an "academy" was built in the east part of Wenona, in LaSalle County.  This facility was shared by Marshall County citizens and was a  non-sectarian seminary at the high school level.  The seminary was later to include a grade school.

 In 1863, a two story school building was built in the northwest end of Wenona. A wing was added to this building in 1866.

Coal was discovered in 1865 and for many years a valuable community product. The mine employed an average of 200 men and a nearby zinc smelter employed 50 more.
                                                                             

The first mention of Abiathar Smith Robinson (Abiath) in Wenona, Illinois was on the August 11, 1870 census which said that Abiathar, a 41 year old laborer, lived there with his wife, Julia Ann (Tuller) age 35.  Both were born in Vermont.  Their son, Edgar, also born there, was 17.  The next 3 children were born in Canada and were Nellie 11, Emma 9, and John 7.  William was born in Illinois and was 1.  They lived next door to Julia Ann's brother and his family, Albert who was 27 and a brick mason.

In 1870, the Chicago and Alton Railroad was completed from Wenona to Lacon.  Wenona now had 4 grain elevators, a stockyard, a brickyard, flour mill, wagon manufacturing store, dry goods store, drug store, grocery store, hardware store, furniture store and implement store.  One of Wenona’s early showpieces was the Union Township Fair, organized in 1871, which for a decade rivaled the State Fair.

On May 18, 1870, the center block of the business district was destroyed by fire and 45 business establishments were lost.

By 1873, new brick buildings were built to take their place.  The Wenona Fire Department was organized in 1884.
                                                                         

Frank Hugh and his father, Abiathar 

On June 7, 1880,  A. Roberson, a 52 year old teamster born in Vermont was listed with his wife, Julia who was 45.  Also living with them was their 17 year old son, John, who was born in Canada,  and the other Illinois born children, William age 11, Frank age 8 (my grandfather), Minnie J age 5 and an unnamed baby (Arthur Roy)  born in May (May 30, 1880) showing the fraction of 12/30.   Julia Ann died on December 2, 1887. Much later, her children living in the area got together and bought a tall headstone for her.                                               
                                                                     

Grandfather Frank Hugh and Unknown 

Frank had spoken about trying to find records about his family as he had left home in a huff after his father and he had had a spat over Frank's horse.  He said the records were destroyed in a fire and he couldn't locate any siblings.

 In 1890, the entire south block of Wenona's business district burned. 

 It was rebuilt with brick buildings and a fire wall was placed between every 2nd building.

 The school  burned down around 1896 and a one room school, Phoenix, rose from the ashes.  The building was later expanded to a two story building.   In 1881 this building was used for seventh and eighth grades and for high school.  Another wing was added to it at that time for the lower grades.
In 1891, a three story brick building was built where the Wenona City Park shelter presently stands.  The first floor was used for the grammer school, the second floor was used for the high school and the attic provided room for the playing of basketball.  The grammar school floor consisted of four rooms, two grades sharing one room.  The high school had one large assembly room and three class rooms.                         

 By 1896, Abiathar had married a widow, Mary Jane Defenbaugh Walters.  He was 66 and she was 63.  Mary Jane had had 11 children, but only 8 were alive.

By the June 7, 1900 census, Abiathar, age 70 was only living with Mary Jane, age 67.  He was a teamster, but was listed as being born in New York with parents from there as well instead of Vermont.  Abiathar said he could read but not write, and that he owned his own house free and clear, and that it was not a farm.

When Frank Hugh Robinson, his son, had spoken of their life, he spoke about a farm and his horse who was in the pasture one Sunday where the bull had entered, and that his horse was threatened and his father wouldn't let him get his horse out because it was a Sunday.  Evidently Abiathar had given up the farm for a home in the town. 

Frank Hugh, Augusta, Ed and Millie
Frank Hugh b: 1870 on right with white hair; on left is his son, Edward Kenneth b: 1915.  Standing with crutches is Frank's wife, Augusta b: 1870  and behind her is daughter Mildred b: 1913 with me.  Ed's wife, Eleanor b: 1914 is standing by Frank.  In front are children David Goldfoot , Charlotte and Dianne Robinson.  

                                                                   

Franks's son, Kenneth Arthur Robinson

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His last son, Arthur Roy Robinson. 

Abiathar Smith Robinson died October 7, 1904.  He has no headstone.
Mary Jane Robinson died  July 5, 1918 in Streator, LaSalle, Illinois.

                                                                               

The family from Oregon had a reunion  at Oregon's Coast and Kenneth's sister, Mildred Elizabeth  was there as the head matron. Mildred passed away October 7, 2005.