CALVIN ROBESON

ROBESON

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/21/2020 at 18:14:14

CALVIN ROBESON, who resides on section 24, Nodaway township, is one of the pioneers of Adams county, residing on his present farm since about November 1, 1857. The farm on which he lives consists of 160 acres. He also has 104 acres on sections 13 and 14.

Mr. Robeson was born in Knox county, Ohio, March 9, 1825. His father, Joseph Robeson, was born in Cadiz, Ohio, and his father, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Maryland. The great-grandfather of Calvin Robeson was a native of Ireland. Mr. Robeson's grandfather was a pioneer of Knox county. The mother of the subject of this notice was Sarah Roof, a native of Virginia, whose parents emigrated to Ohio when she was a child. Joseph Robeson and wife were the parents of ten children who grew to mature years, and all are living but one son, Thomas, who died in Colorado a number of years ago. Calvin Robeson is the only one of the family living in Adams county. He was reared to the occupation of farming, and married Miss Margaret Smith, born in Holmes county, Ohio, but reared in Coshocton county. Her parents were William and Elizabeth Smith. The former was born in New Jersey, and the latter, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Lephy, was born in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Robeson continued to live in Ohio until the fall of 1856, when they came to Iowa. They went directly to Brighton county, and in November, 1857, settled on their present farm. In the summer of 1856, Mr. Smith, the father of Mrs. Robeson, came to Adams county from Ohio and bought three forties on section 24, Nodaway township. Two of these forties now form a portion of Mr. Robeson's farm. Mr. Smith, however, returned to Ohio, and Mr. Robeson and Jacob Smith, a brother of Mrs. Robeson, settled on the land that Mr. Smith had purchased. Mr. Robeson's original farm contained but forty acres; the remainder of his landed possessions he has since added. The parents of Mr. Robeson continued to live in Ohio until their death, as did those of Mrs. Robeson. Mr. Smith purchased the land above referred to for his children, but never returned to Iowa. After making his purchase of land he died, at the age of sixty-nine years. When Mr. and Mrs. Robeson came to Adams county there were but few settlers in what is now Nodaway township, and here they have lived for the long period of thirty-four years, witnessing the great growth and development the county has made since that time.

They have two children, a son and daughter, both of whom were born in Nodaway township; Frank, their son, was born in 1859, and married Miss Catherine Vance, and they have two promising children, - Calvin, named for his grandfather, and Georgia Margaret; the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Robeson is Adna. Mrs. Robeson has a brother, Jacob Smith, living in Nodaway township.

Politically Mr. Robeson was in early times a Whig, later a Republican, and still later became interested in the Grange movement. Mr. and Mrs. Robeson are numbered among the well-known and esteemed old settlers of Adams county, where they have lived so long. They have a pleasant home where they are surrounded by the comforts of life, the results of industry.