1880-1883
Several years ago, David Foote, a volunteer, transcribed the news from Lawrence County as printed in the Robinson newspapers. Since Google has not yet seen fit to put our old blog back on line, we have been trying to recreate some of the stories. The following tidbits were copied exactly as they were printed in the 1880s.
Oct 6, 1880
Lawrence County has concluded not to have a fair this year.
Mr. D.A. Watts, of Lawrence County, had some very fine hogs on exhibition at our fair last week, one of which weighed 850 pounds.
Nov 17, 1880
The mother of Miss Mary Buntin, editor of the Lawrenceville Rural, died last week.
Dec 8. 1880
John Richardson, of the vicinity of Lawrenceville, was run over by an O. & M. train a few nights ago and killed.
Jan 5, 1881
The Sumner, Lawrence County Democrat, has suspended. (Ceased business)
May 31, 1882
Mrs. Sam B. Day, the wife of the editor of the Lawrenceville Rural Republican, died last week of consumption. Mrs. Day was a sister of Miss Mary Buntin, who formerly edited the Rural, and who died of the same disease a few years since.
Aug 2, 1882
A Miss Anderson, of Sumner, committed suicide last week. Disappointment in love was the cause.
Miss Rose Abernathy, of Lawrence County, is the instructress in writing at the Normal School (similar to Teacher’s Institute) in this place.
Aug 30, 1882
The watermelon crop in Lawrence County this year is the largest grown for years. From five to ten car-loads are shipped from Lawrenceville each week.
Dr. L. Smith of Lawrenceville, was knocked from a car of lumber at that place by a train and killed Friday.
Sept 6, 1882
Dr. Will Stephens spent last week in Lawrence County "fixing teeth."
Lawrence Roby, of Chauncey, formerly of this place, has rented the Union House in Lawrenceville and will engage in the hotel business.
A horse belonging to some colored men of Lawrence County, died in this place one night last week. They had brought watermelon to town.
Oct 18, 1882
The railroad bridge is at last completed across the river at St. Francisville and trains now daily cross over it to Vincennes, hence the "bob tail" train from Vincennes has been discontinued.
Nov 8,1882-under Bird Station News
Some of the colored voters of Bond are going to vote the Democratic ticket election day. They say they have been supporting the Republicans long enough on promises as they have never given them an office or placed them on a jury. There are about thirty-five of them from this township.
Sep 13, 1882
William Robinson, a prominent attorney of Lawrenceville, had a gold watch and some thirty odd dollars in money stolen from him at the fairgrounds during the re-union last week. (Wilder Brigade Reunion at Robinson Sep 6-7-8.)
Oct 11, 1882-under Charlottesville news
Because her "fella" went back on her, a Miss Lewis attempted to suicide a few days ago by jumping into the river.
Oct 9, 1882
The murder case of Elmer Potts, on a change of venue from Lawrence County, is about the only important case on the Circuit Court docket. The case has been set down for the 12th inst.
Nov 22, 1882
An apple-butter factory at Bridgeport, Lawrence County, has made three thousand gallons of apple-butter this season.
Dec 13, 1882
The colored people are erecting a church house near Pinkstaff Station.
Dec 20, 1882
A great many of our farmers are patronizing the Sumner and Lawrenceville mills. They claim they can get better grades of flour and more of it than can be got at Robinson. Wheat at Sumner is also 90 cents per bushel.
Jan 17, 1883
The horse race at Pinkstaff, on Saturday last, between the Phelps horse and the Lackey mare was won by the former. The race was for fifty dollars.
Jan 31, 1883
Capt. Judy, of Lawrenceville, called at this office on Friday last. The Captain is a jolly good fellow and is doing a large business in the abstract and loan line at the above place.
Feb 7, 1883-from Bird Station
Dr. Abshir offers his pension to any M.D. that will restore the wind he lost at the battle of Shiloh.
Feb 7, 1883
The most important case to be tried at the March term of our circuit court is there Potts murder case brought to this county on a change of venue from Lawrence County. There are about one hundred witnesses in the case.
Feb 21, 1883
The estate of M. Gabriel Smith, deceased, obtained a judgment for $2,000 against the Wabash railroad in the Lawrence County Circuit Court last week. The deceased was killed by a train of cars at Lawrenceville last August.
March 14, 1883
Mrs. Allison, an old lady, mother of ex-sheriff Allison of Lawrence County, died last Saturday and was buried last Sunday at Shimer grave-yard in Lawrence County.
March 14, 1883-from Bird Station
There is considerably sickness in Bond, principally pneumonia.
All of our town was under water during the floods. We were without mail from the south for a week.
Young & Woods’ miller from Crawfordsville was in Robinson seven days last week on a "bender," consequently the mill was standing idle and people were making two or three trips for their grinding. So much for whiskey.
This place now has five dry good stores. Too much for this place.
The old flouring mill of Russellville succumbed to the raging Wabash last week.
March 21, 1883
The north bound local freight on the Wabash railroad was ditched Friday last below St. Francisville
March 21, 1883
Elmer Potts, of Lawrence County, indicted for the killing of Emmet Thomas, of the same county, at St. Francisville in December 1881, and tried in the Circuit Court of this county, last week, was declared by the jury to be not guilty. It was evident from the opening of the case that Potts would be cleared-what little evidence there was against him was circumstantial. Jas. S. Pritchett of Vincennes, and E. Callahan, of Robinson, defended the young man, while Prosecutors Snider and Bradberry and W.D. Robinson, prosecuted.
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