John Evans Robeson
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John Evans Robeson
By Spessard Stone
John Evans Robeson, a pioneer settler of Fort Meade, was a millwright, surveyor, land dealer, and civic leader.
Samuel Henry Robeson, father of John Evans Robeson, was born March 14, 1822, Chesterfield, South Carolina. He was the son of Peter Lord and Mary P. (Spencer) Robeson. On October 12, 1843, Samuel married Sarah Ann Evans, born September 24, 1825, daughter of John and Mary (Craig) Evans. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army. In the early 1870s, the Robesons moved to Fort Meade, Florida where Samuel farmed. Samuel died November 21, 1884, Fort Meade. Sarah died April 30, 1896. They are buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Meade, Florida. Samuel H. and Sarah (Evans) Robeson had nine children: Josephine Elizabeth (Mrs. Ellison S. White); John Evans; Mary Henrietta (Mrs. Florens Cooper); William James; Saurus Alex.; Samuel Henry, Jr.; Thomas; Lillian Olivia; Minnie Lee (Mrs. John B. Cutler).
John Evans Robeson was born May 6, 1847 in Chesterfield, South Carolina and in 1872 moved to Fort Meade, Florida where he was employed as a millwright, engineer, and surveyor. At Fort Meade on June 11, 1874, John married Fernandina D. Roberts, born November 28, 1858, Clinch County, Georgia, daughter of Sherod E. Roberts and Keziah (Knight) Roberts.
On December 12, 1874, the Peace River Navigation Company was organized to navigate a steamboat down the Peace River to secure a land grant and other concessions. In August and September 1875 at Fort Meade, John and Julius Rockner supervised the construction of a forty-foot length, fourteen-foot beam steamboat; however, the vessel in its maiden voyage experienced engine problems and drifted onto a snag, ending the endeavor.
In the 1880s, John continued in surveying while entering the real estate business. John, occupation cited as millwright, and his family were enumerated in household # 290, Fort Meade, in the 1880 census. Surveyor Meigs reported in 1880 on his survey of Peace River, in which John, then county surveyor, assisted him. In 1882, his Garden of Eden real estate agency offered surveying, plotting, titles examined, and land located, citing his five years experience in the woods of South Florida. As a surveyor, he graded large quantities of the lands of Hamilton Disston and Sir Edward Reed. In 1883 Lewis W. Hooker and Fernandina Robeson, created the Fort Meade subdivision of "Hooker & Robeson's Addition."
John participated in endeavors to bring a railroad to Fort Meade. He was one of the incorporators of the Keystone & Walk-in-the-Water Railroad Company of December 14, 1882 and treasurer of the Fort Meade & Plant City Railroad, incorporated June 24, 1886. Neither succeeded; however, trains of the Florida Southern Railroad reached Fort Meade in late December 1885.
In December 1889, the Robesons moved from their planed board home, erected in the 1870s, into their new "elegant and commodious residence on Polk street."
In the 1890s, John participated in the phosphate boom, which swept Fort Meade. John opened a mine one mile north of the river bridge and a fertilizer factory, the Fort Meade Fertilizer Company, the latter of which began grinding phosphate rock in late March 1890. Of the Fort Meade Phosphate, Fertilizer, Land & Improvement Company, of which Jack was treasurer and general manager, the Florida Times-Union of May 23, 1890 reported, "J. E. Robeson, proprietor of the Fort Meade fertilizer factory, is kept busy making fertilizer and filling orders." The Florida Times-Union of February 1, 1892 reported, "Mr. J. E. Robeson, manager of the Ft. Meade fertilizer company, has just loaded a schooner at Port Tampa with five hundred tons of phosphate consigned to Wilmington, Del." The Panic of 1893 curtailed the demand for fertilizer, and the industry entered a retrenchment phase, which forced John to look for other business opportunities.
The Bartow Courier-Informant of January 20, 1897 reported: "Mr. J. E. Robeson is making preparations for putting in machinery to cut shingles at his corn and rice mills. This will fill a want long needed at this place. Mr. Robeson expects to load cypress logs on a lighter and float them down Peace creek to his mill..."
"Jack" was active in civic affairs. He served Fort Meade in various capacities, including: Alderman 1886-87; Tax Assessor, elected Jan. 1893; 1893, Board of Trade; 1894-95, School Trustee.
John Evans Robeson died April 13, 1898 at Fort Meade and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
The Courier-Informant of Bartow of April 20, 1898 lamented:
"Painful news of the sudden death of Jack Robeson, of Ft. Meade, reached Bartow by telegram last Wednesday morning. He had a severe hemorrhage of the lungs the night before and another one early Wednesday morning, causing his death. Quite a company of friends went down from Bartow to attend the funeral services, which were conducted by the Rev. G. W. Mitchell in the presence of a very large company. All the business houses in Ft. Meade closed out of respect to the deceased.
"Jack Robeson was one of our oldest settlers and was known to almost every person in the county. He had always been a hard worker for the interests of his town and county and as such as well as a true and warmhearted friend to those he liked, he will be greatly missed."
Fernandina Roberts Robeson died September 10, 1923 at Lakeland Hospital and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Meade.
Issue of John E. and Fernandina (Roberts) Robeson:
1. Eva Lee Robeson, born August 27, 1875; died November 9, 1909, Atlanta, Ga.; married Robert W. Swearingen, August 1, 1895.
2. Evans Robeson, born September 15, 1877; died August 15, 1960, Tampa, Fla.; never married.
3. Hugh Arthur Robeson, born March 12, 1881; died January 27, 1953; married Clara Isabelle English, November 2, 1905.
4. Anita Beatrice Robeson, born August 9, 1883; died 1953; married (1) Thomas C. White, October 6, 1900; (2) W. Baxter Morison, September 8, 1904.
Acknowledgment: My thanks are extended to Dr. Canter Brown, Jr., for his research assistance.
This profile was published in the Polk County Historical Quarterly of December, 1996.
John Evans Robeson, from Canter Brown, Jr.'s, Fort Meade, 1849-1900, 1995, p. 87
Fernandina Roberts about the time of her marriage to John E. Robeson, from Canter Brown, Jr.'s Women on the Tampa Bay Frontier, 1997, left of p. 1
February 11, 2001& photos February 18, 2002 & May 19 & 20 (photos), 2004