James Henry Robinson

JAMES H. ROBINSON.

There are no rules for building character; there is no rule for achieving success. A man who can rise to a position of eminence is he who can see and utilize the opportunities that surround his path. The essential conditions of human life are ever the same and the surroundings of individuals differ but little, so that when one man passes another on the highway of life, reaching the goal of prosperity before those who, perhaps, started out ahead of him, it is because he has the power to use advantages which probably encompass the whole human race. To-day among the most prominent business men of Crawford county stands James Henry Robinson, the vice-president of the Bucyrus State Bank and a man whose influence in business and political circles has been far-reaching". The history of such a man cannot fail to be of widespread interest, for he ranks high among the representative citizens of this portion of the state.

Mr. Robinson was born on the home farm in Chatfield township, Crawfi rel county, February 22, 1839, and manifests in his life many of the sterling characteristics of his Scotch ancestry, — for the family is of Scotch lineage. The great-grandfather, John Robinson, was born in the land of hills and weather, and when a young man crossed the Atlantic to America, locating in Virginia, where he met and married Miss Stout, whose parents came to the new world from the Emerald isle. Mr. Robinson was at one time captured by the Indians in Virginia and brought by them to Ohio. They intended to burn him at the state, but for some reason changed this decision, and he finally escaped, but four of his companions were killed. John Robinson, Jr., the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Virginia, and on leaving the Old Dominion emigrated westward to Coshocton county Ohio, casting in his lot among its early settlers. In 1825 he came to Crawford county, bringing with him his family. James M. Robinson, the father of our subject, was born in 1807, near Wheeling, West Virginia. He wedded Alary E. Cooper, and In 1825 came to Crawford county, taking up his above on a farm in Chatfield township, where the birth of our subject afterward occurred. He died in 1874, at the age of sixty-seven years, and his wife passed away May 15, 1852, at the age of forty-two years. They had two sons who served in the Civil war, both having been members of the Third Ohio Cavalry. They are now deceased, having passed away in Michigan in 1883. One daughter of the family. Melvina J., became the wife of E. Clady, of Chatfield township, and died in 1872: Nathan J. died in Crawford county in 1874; and Alpheus D. is now living in Paulding county, Ohic.

James Henry Robinson, whose name introduces this record, was the second of the family. He pursued his education in Chatfield and in the Otterbein University at Westerville. He was a student for two years. Subsequently he engaged in teaching eight terms of school in Chatfield, giving excellent satisfaction through his ability to maintain discipline and to impart with readiness and clearness to others the knowledge he had acquired. He has many times been called to public office, where he has served with ability and fidelity. He was township clerk of Chatfield township, and for two terms held the office of county surveyor. In the meantime he had engaged in merchandising at Chatfield for ten years, and in 1876 he became identified with industrial interests in Bucyrus as the secretary and treasurer of the Franz & Pope Knitting Machine Company, in which capacity he served for one year. In 1876 he also became county auditor, and filled that position for six consecutive years, or until 1882. On the ist of January, 1886, he became cashier of the Bucyrus City Bank, acting in that capacity for fifteen years, or until the ist of January, 1900, when he was elected vice-president. The success and growth of this institution is largely due to his efforts. He has been untiring in promoting its welfare, and his genial manner and unfailing courtesy have made him a popular officer of the institution, while his well-known reliability has added to its high standing in financial circles.

Mr. Robinson was married in Crawford count)', to Miss Louisa Hipp, a daughter of Frederick and Catherine ( Kunzi ) Hipp, of Bucyrus. Her father is a director of the Bucyrus City Bank and ex-probate judge of the county. Their marriage has been blessed with two children: Francis Marion, who died in 1871, at the age of five years, and Minnie M., now the wife of F. B. Lauck, of Bucyrus. In his political affiliations Mr. Robinson is a Democrat, and socially he is connected with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter and commandery. lie also has membership relations with the Odd Fellows society, in which he has passed all the chairs, and in the Knights of Pythias lodge, of Bucyrus, he was the first past chancellor. He holds membership relations in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and also the English Lutheran church. In all life's relations he has commanded the respect and confidence of those with whom he has been associated. Regarded as a citizen, he belongs to that public-spirited, useful and helpful type of men whose ambitions and desires are directed in those channels through which flow the greatest and most permanent good to the greatest number, and it is, therefore, consistent* with the purpose and plan of this work that his record be given among those of the representative men of the state.

As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.