John M. Robinson was fifteen years of age when the family located in California and in the schools of that state he began his education, continuing his studies in Walla Walla county after their removal to this state. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-two years of age and then in 1881 took up a preemption claim, which is now within the city limits of Pomeroy and he still owns eighty acres of that. He engaged in farming until 1885, at which time he took twenty head of work horses to California and spent one year in that state. He then returned to Washington and purchased another farm, living thereon until 1892. Since then he has made his home in Pomeroy, where he bought a warehouse and has engaged in buying grain. He is now the owner of four thousand and ninety-five acres of land, all improved and under cultivation.
Mr. Robinson was married in 1881 to Miss Melinda F. McKey, a native of Kansas and a daughter of Rev. W. P. and Jane (Wilkinson) McKey, and to this union have been born seven children, namely: Walter J.; Josie May, now the wife of D. A. Taylor; Clare Marie, the wife of P. C. Clark of Walla Walla; Dora Bell, the wife of G. Z. Ickes, Jr.; Ruth, the wife of J. D. Lyon, Jr.; Vernon H. and Florestine, at home.
JOHN M. ROBINSON AND FAMILY
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are active and consistent members of the Christian church of Pomeroy and he is serving as one of its elders. He is also prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having filled all of the chairs in Pomeroy Lodge, No. 16. In business affairs he has steadily prospered until he is now the possessor of a handsome fortune and the success that has come to him is but the just reward of his own industry, fair dealing and good management, for he is a man of good business and executive ability and sound judgment.
RICHARD D. ROBERTS.
More than a century ago Washington said that agriculture is the most useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man, while Thomas Jefferson said, "The hope of the nation lies in the tillers of the soil." It is a well known fact that agriculture is the basis of all advancement and prosperity and no country reaches the highest point of its attainment if its farm lands are not properly and carefully cultivated. Among those progressive men who are now concentrating their efforts and attention upon the further development of the soil in Walla Walla county is Richard D. Roberts, who has extensive farming interests on section 13, township 9 north, range 37 east. He was born upon this farm January 6, 1875, and is a son of David and Jane (Anderson) Roberts. The father was a native of Wales and came to the United States in young manhood. He made his way westward to Illinois, where he took up his abode and there he formed the acquaintance of Jane Anderson, who was a native of that state. They were married and about 1870 they left Illinois for Oregon. After spending one year in Forest Grove of the latter state they came north to Washington and for a year were residents of Waitsburg. At the end of that time David Roberts purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the home farm upon which his son Richard now resides. Not long afterward he preempted an eighty-acre tract adjoining the original purchase and then bought another eighty acres, continuing to give his time, attention and energy to his farming interests until his death, which occurred in December, 1898. For several years he had survived his wife, who passed away in 1892.