Orrin W. Robinson
Encyclopedia
Orrin Williams Robinson was a politician and businessman from the U.S. state
of Michigan
. He ran a successful logging operation in the Upper Peninsula
and was elected to serve in both houses of the Michigan Legislature
and two terms as the 31st Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
, from 1899 to 1903.
, to Williams Dean and Zilpah (Clement) Robinson. Orrin's great-grandfather, David Robinson, was a soldier in the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
, reaching the rank of captain. After the war, David settled in Cornish, New Hampshire
. A son, Everett Robinson, grandfather to Orrin, served in the War of 1812
.
Orrin's early education was in the public schools. At the age of ten, he went to live on a neighboring farm, where he worked on the farm during the summer for his board and clothes and attended school in the winter. When he was 17, he went to work for a year at a gun factory in Windsor, Vermont
. After this he spent two more years working a farm in the summer and attending school during the winter. In 1854, at the age of 19, he borrowed fifty dollars to travel and join his uncle, S.S. Robinson, who was managing the Derby copper mine in Ontonagon County, Michigan
. Arriving in June 1854, he worked for nearly two years at various mines in the area. In February 1856, he walked to Green Bay, Wisconsin
, where he then proceeded by stage to Fond du Lac
, then by rail to Chicago and Galena, Illinois
on to Dubuque, Iowa
. He then walked across the prairie to Fort Dodge and then to Kossuth County, Iowa
, where he worked as an engineer in a saw-mill. Following the Spirit Lake massacre
in March 1857, immigration into the area nearly stopped and combined with the Panic of 1857
created greater economic hardship than usual for a frontier community. Robinson nonetheless purchased 320 acres (1.3 km²) of land and lived there for about five years.
, where he worked as a shipping clerk in the Quincy Mine
until 1873. During that time, he had acquired about 2,000 acres (8 km²) of pine timber land. In 1873, he organized the Sturgeon River Lumber Company, which built mills in Hancock.
The owners of that company also organized the Sturgeon River Boom Company in 1875, and built a channel to bring logs from the Sturgeon River
to Pike Bay. In 1881, Robinson purchased the land of John Chassell, a local banker and business man, located on Pike Bay. Robinson moved into Chassell's house and later built a new house on the same lot. To accommodate further expansion, the company's mills and principal operations were moved from Hancock to Chassell in 1887-88. By that time, the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
had extended a line to the area with a stop at the growing community that Robinson named Chassell
.
The new mill at Chassell, which had a capacity of twenty million board feet (47,000 m³) a year, employed over two hundred and was considered one of the largest in the state. Robinson maintained an interest in the business until 1902, when it was sold to the C. H. Wooster Lumber Company. Robinson also invested successfully in orange groves in Florida.
and was a firm Republican (United States) for the remainder of his life. He was a delegate from Michigan to the 1892 Republican National Convention
. In November 1894, Robinson was elected to represent the 2nd district of Houghton in the Michigan State House of Representatives
, and in 1896, he was elected to the Michigan Senate
from the 32nd district. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
in 1898 with Governor Hazen S. Pingree
and re-elected in 1900 with Governor Aaron T. Bliss
.
on August 20, 1865 in cleveland, Ohio
. They raised two children: M. Ethel, who graduated from Mary Institute in St. Louis, Missouri
, and the Boston Conservatory of Music; and Dean L., who finished a course of study at Smith Academy in St. Louis, Missouri
, then entered the Phillips Exeter Academy
in Exeter, New Hampshire
, graduating in 1895. Dean graduated from the Literary Department of Harvard University
in 1899 and the Columbia Law School
in 1901.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He ran a successful logging operation in the Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
and was elected to serve in both houses of the Michigan Legislature
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
and two terms as the 31st Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor, and one of four great offices of state...
, from 1899 to 1903.
Early life
Robinson was born in Claremont, New HampshireClaremont, New Hampshire
There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...
, to Williams Dean and Zilpah (Clement) Robinson. Orrin's great-grandfather, David Robinson, was a soldier in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, reaching the rank of captain. After the war, David settled in Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2010 census. Cornish has three covered bridges. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.-History:...
. A son, Everett Robinson, grandfather to Orrin, served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Orrin's early education was in the public schools. At the age of ten, he went to live on a neighboring farm, where he worked on the farm during the summer for his board and clothes and attended school in the winter. When he was 17, he went to work for a year at a gun factory in Windsor, Vermont
Windsor, Vermont
Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and...
. After this he spent two more years working a farm in the summer and attending school during the winter. In 1854, at the age of 19, he borrowed fifty dollars to travel and join his uncle, S.S. Robinson, who was managing the Derby copper mine in Ontonagon County, Michigan
Ontonagon County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,818 people, 3,456 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 5,404 housing units...
. Arriving in June 1854, he worked for nearly two years at various mines in the area. In February 1856, he walked to Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, where he then proceeded by stage to Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
, then by rail to Chicago and Galena, Illinois
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
on to Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. He then walked across the prairie to Fort Dodge and then to Kossuth County, Iowa
Kossuth County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, where he worked as an engineer in a saw-mill. Following the Spirit Lake massacre
Spirit Lake Massacre
The Spirit Lake Massacre was an attack by a Wahpetuke band of Santee Sioux on scattered Iowa frontier settlements during a severe winter. Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief Inkpaduta led 14 Sioux against the settlements near Okoboji and Spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of...
in March 1857, immigration into the area nearly stopped and combined with the Panic of 1857
Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
created greater economic hardship than usual for a frontier community. Robinson nonetheless purchased 320 acres (1.3 km²) of land and lived there for about five years.
Return to Michigan
In 1862, Robinson returned to Michigan and settled at the village of HancockHancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
, where he worked as a shipping clerk in the Quincy Mine
Quincy Mine
The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid...
until 1873. During that time, he had acquired about 2,000 acres (8 km²) of pine timber land. In 1873, he organized the Sturgeon River Lumber Company, which built mills in Hancock.
The owners of that company also organized the Sturgeon River Boom Company in 1875, and built a channel to bring logs from the Sturgeon River
Sturgeon River (Michigan)
Sturgeon River may refer to any of the following streams in the U.S. state of Michigan:* Sturgeon River — The Sturgeon River rises as outflow of Sixteenmile Lake in Alger County at and flows primarily southward into the Big Bay de Noc at .** The West Branch Sturgeon River rises at and flows...
to Pike Bay. In 1881, Robinson purchased the land of John Chassell, a local banker and business man, located on Pike Bay. Robinson moved into Chassell's house and later built a new house on the same lot. To accommodate further expansion, the company's mills and principal operations were moved from Hancock to Chassell in 1887-88. By that time, the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway was an American railroad serving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Lake Superior shoreline of Wisconsin. It provided service from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and St. Ignace, Michigan, westward through Marquette, Michigan to Superior, Wisconsin,...
had extended a line to the area with a stop at the growing community that Robinson named Chassell
Chassell, Michigan
Chassell is an unincorporated community in Chassell Township of Houghton County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on Pike Bay at the south end of Portage Lake and is the largest community in the township....
.
The new mill at Chassell, which had a capacity of twenty million board feet (47,000 m³) a year, employed over two hundred and was considered one of the largest in the state. Robinson maintained an interest in the business until 1902, when it was sold to the C. H. Wooster Lumber Company. Robinson also invested successfully in orange groves in Florida.
Political career
Robinson cast his first vote in a U.S. presidential election in 1856 for John C. FrémontJohn C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
and was a firm Republican (United States) for the remainder of his life. He was a delegate from Michigan to the 1892 Republican National Convention
1892 Republican National Convention
The 1892 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held at the Industrial Exposition Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 7 to June 10, 1892. The party nominated Benjamin Harrison from Indiana for re-election as President of the United States on the first ballot...
. In November 1894, Robinson was elected to represent the 2nd district of Houghton in the Michigan State House of Representatives
Michigan State House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2000 federal U.S. Census.Members are elected in...
, and in 1896, he was elected to the Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
from the 32nd district. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor, and one of four great offices of state...
in 1898 with Governor Hazen S. Pingree
Hazen S. Pingree
Hazen Stuart Pingree was a four-term Republican mayor of Detroit and the 24th Governor of the US state of Michigan .-Early life in Maine and Massachusetts:...
and re-elected in 1900 with Governor Aaron T. Bliss
Aaron T. Bliss
Aaron Thomas Bliss was a U.S. Representative from and the 25th Governor of the US state of Michigan, and was from Saginaw-Early life in New York:...
.
Family and legacy
Robinson married Cornelia L. Lombard, of Weathersfield, VermontWeathersfield, Vermont
Weathersfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,788 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.2 square miles , of which 43.8 square miles is land and 0.4 square mile is...
on August 20, 1865 in cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. They raised two children: M. Ethel, who graduated from Mary Institute in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and the Boston Conservatory of Music; and Dean L., who finished a course of study at Smith Academy in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, then entered the Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
in Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
, graduating in 1895. Dean graduated from the Literary Department of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1899 and the Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in 1901.