My Genealogy Hound

HON. ROBERT TOBIN, an old native resident of Perry County, was born December 7, 1815. His grandfather, George Tobin, was one of the first settlers in the township which now bears his name, where he bought 800 acres of land. The Indians at that time were numerous, and he made a contract with two of the chiefs that he should be allowed to clear his land unmolested. The father of the subject of this sketch, Thomas Tobin, bought 160 acres of government land on Section 21 in 1816. He lived there until 1840, when he sold it and moved to the old homestead, where he lived until his death in June, 1871. Robert Tobin received his education in the primitive log schoolhouse of the frontier. He remained at home, working on the farm, until reaching his majority, after which, until his marriage, he rented and worked his father’s farm, with the exception of one year, when he was engaged in flat-boating. October 8, 1840, he married Jane Blaine, a native of Breckenridge County, Ky. Since that time he has been engaged in farming at various places in the township, having bought his present farm in 1872. In 1850 he bought an interest in a general merchandise store with his father, and managed the business in connection with his farm work for several years. Mr. Tobin has been very successful financially, and has owned as much as 1,000 acres of land at one time. He gave each of his children $7,000 worth of land at their marriage, and now has 500 acres. He has three children now living. They are Sarah S. (wife of Thomas Leaf), Catharine (wife of Hiram Ackarman) and Nancy (wife of Q. K. Groves), all of whom are living in Tobin Township. In politics Mr. Tobin is very liberal, but is rather inclined to accept the principles of the Republican party. In 1875 he was elected to represent Perry and Spencer Counties in the Senate of the Indiana Legislature. Both he and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. He is a man of great force of character, and has done much to promote the interests of the county.