The Robinsons

            James Robinson (1808 – 1874) came to Bloomington from New York in 1836. He entered into business with James Allin until 1840 and then was in business with David Davis. Eventually he became an investor in the Bank of Bloomington and then its president. He and his wife Latricia Drake had four sons.

            John D. Robinson (1852 -  was a Bloomington florist who owned one of the largest floral gardens in Illinois. His greenhouses used 16,800 feet of glass. His services extended as far as Kansas City. He was unmarried and lived with his mother after she was widowed in the family's large brick house at Clay (Oakland) and East Streets.

            Charles W. Robinson's first position was cashier of the First National Bank of Bloomington and at the end of his life was the chairman. He was the only descendant of James Robinson to have a family in McLean County. Two of his brothers received their education at Harvard and settled in the East. His sister Margaret was a graduate nurse and was president of the Day Nursery before moving to Massachusetts. She established tonsil and dental clinics at the Day Nursery. His children did not marry and lived all their lives in Bloomington.

            Frederic Robinson (1869 – 1937) was a surveyor and farm manager and lived in New York until a few years before his death.