Martin’s father, Henry Robertson, came to this part of Illinois, about 1818, returned to Tennessee, then came back in 1823, and settled three and a half miles northwest of Marion, filing his first land claim in 1836, where he farmed successfully until his death in 1845. Henry bought one of the original lots in Marion when the land for the town went up for sale. He bought the lot at the north east corner of the intersection of South Market St. and East College St. for $76. Over the decades that lot has been home to the Bearing Service Company and Barbaro’s South Side Tavern as well as Tony’s Steak House, the Planter restaurant and is currently, in 2014, a radio station office.
According to a petition for partition filed in Williamson County Court, Henry and Mary had 10 children: William G., Jesse, Presley, John, Winerfred, Martin, Sarah, Elizabeth, Joseph and Martha. A partition is used when two or more people own something in common, i.e. land, and request the court to divide the property into equitable parts. Petitions are often used to settle estates involving property.
Martin W. Robertson was born on Phelps Prairie July 18, 1839. Phelps Prairie was centered west of Marion in West Marion Township, spreading predominately north of Bainbridge, Illinois. At the time he was born, they lived in Franklin County but would become Williamson County after Franklin County was divided into two counties only months after his birth.
After his father died in 1845, Martin’s mother, Mary, a widow, was living alone at the time of the 1850 census with her children: John, 22; Sarah C., 19; Elizah S., 19; Joseph D., 13; Martin W., 10; and Mary, 2. The latter probably being a grandchild.
According to Goodspeed’s history, Martin was reared to manhood with a limited education, chopping wood in order to receive it. His mother, Mary, died in 1854 when he was fourteen and he came into Marion to live in 1859. He was hired by his uncle James T. Goddard as an errand boy but he later was able to work as a clerk for nearly two years. He then went into business with Hardin Goodall until he enlisted in the service for the Civil War.
In the 1860 census, Martin was living alone between the A. T. Wheeler and A. H. Grider families. He was 20 years old and still working as a mercantile clerk for his uncle, J. T. Goddard.
He enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry on September 26, 1862 at Camp Butler and served as a second lieutenant. He was mustered into service on November 4, 1862 at the same place. His description on the muster roll was 23 years old, 5’8”, light hair and blue eyes. The 128th was left to history with a bad reputation and was quickly dissolved. Martin was discharged on April 4, 1863 after only five months service.
ORDER FROM WAR DEPARTMENT
Cairo, Ill., April 1, 1863.
Special Order,
The ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT OF ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS having, in its short period of service of less than five months, been reduced from an aggregate of eight hundred and sixty to one hundred and sixty-one-principally by desertions-and there having been an utter want of discipline in it, the following officers are hereby discharged from the service of the United States, to take effect the 4th inst., viz:
Colonel Robert M. Hundley, Lieutenant Colonel James D. Pulley, First Lieutenant George W. Akin, R. Q. M, Chaplain Archibald T. Benson.
Captains William J. Moyers, William G. Durham, Jefferson S. Allen, John Brown, Joel H. Swindell, Robert M. Allen, William Huffstutler, Aaron A. Bell, William A. Fry, Joshua Pemberton.
First Lieutenants James V. Moore, John A. Ensminger, Sibron A. Walker, Zachariah Hudgens, Iradell A. Williams, Jesse A. McIntosh, William L. Stilley, Samuel Upchurch.
Second Lieutenants Martin A. B. Dial, Joseph M. Dorris, Jasper A. Crain, Addison Reese, Martin W. Robertson, N. E. Norris, Joseph B. Fuller, Wiley W. Hall, and Samuel Pemberton.
The few remaining men of this Regiment will be consolidated into a Detachment, under First Lieutenant W. A. Lemma, William M. Cooper and Assistant Surgeon George W. French, for transfer to some other Illinois regiment to be designated by Major General Grant, commanding the Department of the Tennessee. Brigadier General A. Asboth, commanding District of Columbus, Kentucky, will order an officer of the regular army to this place, to critically inspect the Detachment, to muster out of service such old men and others who, by reason of defects, should not have been mustered into the service.
By order of the Secretary of War,
L. Thomas, Adjutant General.
Official: E.D. Townsend,
Assistant Adjutant General.
Three years later, Martin married Malvina Dunaway, daughter of Williamson County pioneers Samuel and Julia A. Dunaway on January 21, 1866. Malvina was born on August 11, 1846 in Bainbridge, Illinois, west of Marion, her father, Samuel Dunaway, was one of the richest men in the county in those times.
Martin conducted a large dry goods business until 1869, when he established the first hardware store in Marion. He built the Robertson Block in 1874, including a two story building 48 x 70 feet above the basement. He also owned two other lots, on which the lumber yards and the warehouse of J. Vick & Co. were operated.
Reference has been made to Robertson’s Block and Robertson’s basement in local press and advertisements. What is known is that in the late 1800’s Hartwell and Warder, a law firm, were located in the Robertson Block and William H. Warder was known to have an office in the second floor of the 1200 block of the public square, the building on the north side of East Main Street where it joins the square.
This building has a basement that has traditionally been occupied by businesses. In 1877, Charles Link had a barber shop in the basement and in 1874 a reference was made indicating that Brice Holland had installed Marion’s first billiard table in Robertson’s basement. M.W. Robertson’s store was advertised in the 1870’s as being on the east side of the square and offered a mammoth stock of cooking and heating stoves, hardware, etc. An additional ad said that M.W. Robertson’s offered hardware and groceries on the east side of square.
When a fire broke out in the 1100 block of the square, where City Hall is currently located, in November 1896 and leveled the entire block, the local paper also indicated that M.W. Robertson’s store and basement across East street had suffered damage, confirming that the 1200 block was likely Robertson’s block and his store was on the corner of East Main Street.
In 1870, Mart and Malvina had two children: Etta E., 3; and Samuel, 1; Kelley Jennie Robertson, 11, and Fes Holland, 22, were living with them. Kelley probably helped with the house and children and Fes was a clerk. Martin’s real estate was valued at $2,700 and his personal property at $4,000. Martin, Malvina and the children were all born in Illinois, near Marion.
From 1869 to 1872 Martin served as a trustee for the town of Marion under President George W. Goddard and again in 1874 as alderman under Mayor Joseph W. Hartwell.
In 1880 Martin was 40; Malvina was 33, Etta, 13 and Samuel, 11. He was a hardware merchant.
He owned two lots, on which the lumber yards and warehouse of J. Vick & Co. were operated and also owned 360 acres of the best farming land in the country near Marion, well cultivated. This was on the northwest corner adjoining Marion. Much of the land in this area was excellent farmland until mined for coal. He also owned a large, young orange grove and other property in Polk and Orange Counties, Fla., under the management of M. R. Hopper, one of his old and trusted clerks, well known and respected, the son of Joseph Hopper of Williamson County.
In 1900 Martin and Malvina were living alone. They had been married 34 years. She had had three children, two of which were still living, but not with them. A son, John D. Robertson, had died the previous year, in 1899. The Robertson’s owned their own home with no mortgage.
Martin W. was a Democrat, and prominently identified with municipal and school affairs. He was a Royal Arch Mason, of Council Degree, a member of the Knights of Honor and the Knights & Ladies of Honor. He and his wife and daughter were members of the First Christian Church in Marion.
According to the Goodspeed History of the county, Marion Lodge, No. 1944, Knights of Honor, was chartered January 5, 1880, with W. H. Eubanks, J. H. Duncan, M. C. Campbell, M.R. Hopper, Z. Hudgens, M. Cantor and others as charter members.
The Knights of Honor (K. of H.), was a fraternal organization that was founded in 1873. Its principles differ little from those of other beneficent societies, the objects being to care for the sick and pay certain sums to the heirs of deceased members. Some lodges paid sick benefits from the local treasury, but all death benefits are paid by the Supreme Lodge, which was headquartered in St. Louis.
When the 1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County was prepared in 1904, a photo of the Robertson’s home located at 403 E. Main Street was included, as well as a photo of Martin and his wife Malvina.
Martin died sometime in 1905. An exact date or his burial location is yet to be found.
By 1910, his 61 year old widow, Malvina D., was living at their home at 403 E. Main Street in Marion. Her son Samuel and a servant, Zona Rushing, were living with her. She had her own income, likely, her husbands’ investments; her son did not have an occupation listed. Malvina Dunaway Robertson died in 1916.
Notes on the Children:
Juliette “Ettie” E. Robertson was born about 1867. She died in 1955. She married Thomas S. Browning from Benton on Oct 14, 1890. They had: Barton R., Thomas S., Jr, and Levi M. Browning. This marriage joined several pioneer families, that of the Robertson’s, the Dunaway’s, the Spiller’s, and the Benson’s of Williamson County and the Browning’s of Franklin County. All of these families were here before Williamson and Franklin Counties separated in 1839.
Samuel Henry Robertson was born about 1869. He married Ida Warren July 7, 1896. They were divorced in 1908. He married Sula C. Heflin about 1900. In 1940 Samuel and Sula were living in the house at 403 East Main St. and in 403½ lived Hosea Robertson and his wife Ruth. Don’t know who Hosea is. I don’t think he is a son because he was not in the 1920 or 1930 census with them.
John D. Robertson was born after 1880 and died in 1899.
(Sourced from the 1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County; Goodspeed’s History; Federal Census Records; Marion City Directories; compiled by Colleen Norman and edited by S. Lattuca)