ROBBINS, Thomas - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Thomas M. Robbins died at Indianapolis on last Tuesday night after an illness of several week's from typhoid fever. Word was sent to this city and the fire bells tolled the said news to our citizens. Mr. Robbins was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 6, 1829, and his parents removed to Ripley township, this county, in 1831, where Mr. Robbins grew to manhood. He was educated at the Bloomingdale Academy, and in 1855 was married to Mary E. Holton. They had two sons, one now being dead and the other, John, a resident of this city. Mr. Robbins at one time kept the Nutt hotel in this city and later was the owner of the present Robbins House, Robbins also kept hotels at Terre Haute and Danville, Ill. Mr. Robbins was a member of the City Council until he resigned in order to accept a position of district agent of the Crawfordsville Live Stock Investment Co., with headquarters at Indianapolis. The remains were brought to this city on Wednesday evening, and escorted from the train to the Robbins House by a committee appointed by the City Council. Funeral services were conducted on Thursday morning by Rev. J.W. Greene, and interment was made in the family burial lot at Yountsville. The pallbearers were Mayor B.R. Russell, ex-Mayor T.L. Stillwell, Councilman, Rominger, Carr, and Naylor and John S. Brown. Thus has passed over the river of death one of our most respected and liberal citizens. Son of Samuel and Jane Marks Robbins

The following memorial on the death of T.M. Robbins was presented to the City Council on last Monday evening, having been prepared by a committee appointed by the Council on Nov. 1, composed of John Bishop, M. Price, and C.W. Elmore. Thomas M. Robbins, although a native of Butler county, Ohio, was identified with this county and this city in their formation, growth and prosperity. In 1831, when he was only an infant of two years of age, his father settled on a fertile tract of land in Ripley township, of this county, where the subject of this memorial grew and waxed in strength, until he reached the medium of his life, always taking an active part in clearing away the native forest, cultivating and beautifying the farm, and rendering it and the surrounding county habitable for men. Although he was deprived of a mother's care at the early age of three, here it was as in the case with the great majority of the people of this city who have been similarly situated, that he acquired those principles of honesty and integrity that so well supported him in after life. In 1863 he entered the livery business and after wards moved to Terre Haute and engaged in hotel keeping; from there he moved to Danville, Ill, and re entered the livery business. In 1877 he came to this city and took charge of the Nutt Hotel, afterwards he bought the St. James Hotel, changing its name to the Robbins House, which he kept until a few months before his death. In 1885 he was elected a member of this body, and continued so until July, 1896, when his temporary residence in Indianapolis rendered his resignation a necessity. As a husband and father he was kind and indulgent; as a member of this Council he was painstaking, honest and faithful; as a citizen and friend he was enterprising and admired and beloved by all who knew him. Of him no greater tribute can be written on his monument that the words, "He never sought to make an enemy."