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Friday, January 23, 2009

errata

Further research; John Riley Robinson
Any historical research encounters a myriad of details that can be carefully sorted out or casually glossed over, and there's usually a certain amount of both in any story. I knew when I wrote the Robinson episodes below, that there would be further work to do and revisions to make.

I made a couple of trips to the county recorders office today to trace Oak Hill's title. The deeds confirm that Oak Hill was sold at sheriff's sale in 1860. It appears to be a foreclosure. The sale was to satisfy a judgment of $9,320 and the property was purchased at the sale by Farmer's Bank, then resold to Harvey Hall for $7,000 who sold it to Dr. Jones three years later for $12,000. Thus it appears when the 1860 census showed Robinson's real estate valued at $10,000 he was essentially wiped out, probably a result of the bankruptcy of the railroad in 1855. Nevertheless, his connections with the Barneys, the Overland, and Wells Fargo took him on to his silver mine venture and great wealth.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great to discover your postings on Oak Hill Cottage and John Riley Robinson. Personal genealogy research led me to your blog. I am a descendant of Arthur Leslie Wilkinson [1866-1946] of Mansfield, Ohio. Another family member is a direct descendant of John Riley Robinson and wealth of information. I hope you have shared your work with his family and gained from their knowledge of the history also. Appreciate your efforts to preserve the area history. A visit from my home in the Pacific Northwest to Mansfield is on my 'to do' list.

alan wigton said...

The Oak Hill Cottage people have kept in contact with Robinson's great-grandchildren over a good many years and I've taken up correspondence with them myself in putting together a history of JRR. We sell a small book "John Riley Robinson, the Man Who Built Oak Hill" for $5 at the Cottage. It is essentially the history as I have posted on this blog and more, with some additional information since discovered. If this comment gets back to you via the way this blog works (not sure of that) click on my name to email me directly and establish contact.