ID: I275
Name: Joseph T. ROBINSON
Title: Rev.
Sex: M
Birth: 8 MAR 1827 in Hardin Co. TN
Death: 1 JAN 1881 in Acton, Hood Co. TX
Occupation: Farmer,Minister, Deputy Sheriff, Vigilant,32nd Degree Mason
Note: Joe Robinson was Sheriff of Parker Co. TX.
Note: Biography in:
Note: THE 1855 PIONEERS OF ACTON COUNTRY
Note: "FIGHTING JOE" ROBINSON--HIS ENTHUSIASM IN RELIGION AND IN POLITICS--AGAINST THIEVES--THE "VIGILANTS"--LAW AND ORDER ASSOCIATION
Note: Written in 1895 by T. T. Ewell:
Note:
Note: _________________________________________
Note: Hood County Texas Genealogical Society
Note: JOSEPH ROBINSON
Note: "FIGHTING JOE" ROBINSON
Note: 1827 - 1881
Note: by D. D. Segar
Note:
Note: During the early days, the community of Comanche Peak Post Office (later to become Acton) was found to be the center of the largest established settlement in this area of the State, or was it the Republic? Among the citizens of Acton were
found to be folk of various denominational beliefs. However, the majority were listed as Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist. After a time, these folk united their efforts and constructed a "Union" church building or Meeting House. In this
building services were held each month by the various denominations taking turns in conducting the services.
Note:
Note: Into this area, during the 1850's, came a rugged pioneer Baptist preacher by the name of Joseph Robinson. Some materials give his name as "Robertson" and others as "Robinson." The headstone that marks his grave spells the name "Robinson." It is
this spelling we use. There need be no fear of talking about two different men as the nickname "Fighting Joe" generally always precedes his name regardless of which way it is spelled.
Note:
Note: Fighting Joe's ministerial life was characterized by his unyielding and adamant pronouncements, "… the Baptist church was organized by Jesus on the banks of the Jordan River and was named after John the Baptist. John baptized Jesus in the
Jordan, thus the New Testament church was a Baptist church. Since Jesus was a Baptist, he would not have organized any other church but a Baptist church. Jesus said, 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' … thus, if Jesus spoke the
truth, (who would dare say he didn't) then his church is in the world today, has been since the first century and will be until He comes again. Anyone who does not believe this does not believe the Bible, all who are not members of a Baptist
church are not members of any church at all."
Note:
Note: Needless to say, anyone preaching such a message in a "Union" church building, it is easy to understand how people would violently disagree and hang the nickname "Fighting Joe" on the messenger. But, other denominations were not all Fighting
Joe vented his wrath against. He was a member of the Vigilants and active in fighting Indians, rustlers, all types of criminals, and evil in every form.
Note:
Note: Someone has said that when Joe Robinson arrived for his preaching appointment, he would hitch his horse to a nearby tree, stand his rifle against the pulpit, and under the shade of a tree in the summer time, he would thunder out his wrath
against the Devil, sin, criminals, and other denominations. On one such occasion, he was interrupted by a group of men on horseback who rode up to announce "some Indians have just driven off a bunch of horses from a farm on Fall Creek." Joe
dismissed the service, grabbed his gun and joined the men on horseback, as they took off after the horse thieves.
Note:
Note: The following month, when Joe came to keep his preaching appointment, he was interrogated about the thieves who had driven off the horses the month before. The reply he gave was to the effect, the thieves were apprehended, the horses recovered
and returned, and the thieves were dealt with in such a way they will never again drive off another man's horse.
Note:
Note: Joseph Robinson was born March 8, 1827 and died January 1, 1881. He led in the organization of the Acton Baptist Church August 25, 1855, and served as its first pastor. His grave is to be found in the east part, of the old section, of the Acton
Cemetery near where he used to preach. On the west side of a large cedar tree, just under the outer edge of the branches is a footstone marking the grave, placed there by the Acton Baptist Church a few years ago. On this stone, more legible
information concerning this man can be found than that given by the old headstone which, although legible, is more difficult to read, due to the elements of time. One cannot help but notice that the two stones that mark this grave are not in
line with other stones in the vicinity of this grave. These two stones are at about "two o'clock" as compared to others. One might wonder if this, in any way, symbolizes the life of the one whose grave they mark.
Note:
Note: Hood County was created in 1866. Among the first members of the commissioners court was Fighting Joe Robinson. It is said that he ran unsuccessfully for election to the State legislature for more than 20 years. He was always defeated because he
ran on a platform to do away with most of the State laws, condense those that were not done away with, and put all the laws in a language everyone could read and understand.
Note:
Note: SOURCE
Note: Paluxy Baptist Association Centennial Story
Note: 1880 - 1980
Note:
Note:
Note: 1850 Census of Tippah County, MS p.400a
Note: 38 96 96 Robinson Joseph 23 M Farmer Ten
Note: 39 96 96 Robinson Louisa 27 F Ga
HIST: GG Grandfather
HIST:
HIST: Exer Smith and 1880 Hood Co. census
HIST: THE ROBINSON FAMILY:"OUR ANCESTORS" by Floyd M. Wells 1987
HIST: JOSEPH ROBINSON was born March 8,1827, in Tennessee. Due to lack of recordkeeping in the early 1800s and to the burning of court houses, destroying all records has made it impossible to locate and trace the movements and locations to this date.
There is a Joseph Robinson listed in the census records of the State of Tennessee in Roane County, 1830.
HIST: We have family Bible records of when Joseph Robinson married Louisa Akin on March 14, 1848 and when their first child, John James, was born in Tippah County, Mississippi on August 1, 1850. From there we have only what my mother told me some 20
years ago; that river boat traveling was much more available and faster and safer than trying to move by covered wagon from Mississippi to Texas and trying to dodge Indian arrows popping out of the woods on both sides. So it is believed they
took the boat down the big river to the gulf and across to Galveston Bay and transferred to small flat bottom river boats to go up the Trinity River as far as they could go. Then they bought a wagon and horses and moved out into the county,.
usually around Van Zandt County in east Texas. That is where the second child was born, Millia Ann "Molly" on August 7 1885.
HIST: Shortly after Molly was born, they moved on west to Acton, a good size community. This was before Hood County was created in 1866. This is why the next three children are listed as being born in Parker County because Weatherford, the county
seat, was the closest county seat to Acton. Children born here were Hasseltine Judson Byers, May 22, 1857, Joseph Turner, March 30, 1859, Graves, August 19, 1862, who died on August 27, 1862, and Theodocia Earnest, August 19, 1864. Mother
always said that Theodocia (her mother) was born in Van Zandt County that they had gone back there for a visit when she was born.
HIST: In late 1855, Rev. Joseph Robinson and some of his neighbors cut poles and brush and built a brush arbor or tabernacle (open on all sides) and Joseph started preaching under this brush arbor. I can remember when I was a small boy in about 1917
or 1918 seeing the remains of the old brush arbor.
HIST: I remember mother telling of what her father told her about grandpa Robinson. When he was preaching under the brush arbor he and all the men in the congregation took their shot guns to chuch (in case of Indian raids) and grandpa would stand his
shot gun up against the pulpit and preach a sermon. If any unusual commotion took place in the woods nearby, he would say "church dismissed." All the men would take their guns and go looking for Indians. There were lots of Indians in the
territory at that time.
HIST: Great grandpa Joe Robinson was also a 32nd degree Mason, and there was no lodge in the territory. So grandpa and a lot of his friends and lodge brothers set to building a lodge. Today the two-story stone building across the road from the old
brush arbor site (where a new brick church stands) is a State Historical Site. The top floor was the Masonic Lodge and the ground floor was the church house on Sunday and the school house during school terms. My mother, Exer Smith Wells,
Daughter of Theodicia, went to school in this building when she was very young.
HIST: Most of the Robinson family are buried in the Acton cemetery in front of the stone building.
HIST: Theodocia, my grandmother, and Beauregard "Boley" Smith, my grandfather married December 25, 1883. Their first child was Exer, born October 23, 1884. Their second child, Charlie was born October 1886 and died June 2, 1887. Nine days later on
June 11, 1887 Theodocia died. Both are buried in the Acton cemetery. This left Boley and 2 year, 8 month old Exer alone.
HIST: You know the rest of the story.
HIST: Floyd M. Wells
HIST: (1987)
HIST:
HIST: Listed in the Tippah Co. MS 1850 Census as
HIST: Joseph Roberson age 23 Farmer
HIST: Louisa Roberson age 27
Change Date: 13 NOV 2004
Father: ROBINSON
Marriage 1
Louisa AKIN b: 1 DEC 1820 in Walton Co. Or Jefferson Co. Georgia
Children
 John James ROBINSON b: 1 AUG 1850 in Tippah Co. MS- Millia Ann "Mollie" ROBINSON b: 7 AUG 1854/1855 in Van Zandt Co. Texas
 Hasseltine Judson Byers ROBINSON b: 22 MAY 1857 in Parker Co. TX- Joseph Turner ROBINSON b: 30 MAR 1859 in Parker Co. TX
- Graves ROBINSON b: 19 AUG 1862 in Parker Co. TX
- Theodocia Earnest ROBINSON b: 19 AUG 1864 in Van Zandt Co. TX
- Lasah (Isaiah) A. ROBINSON b: 22 MAY 1870 in Hood Co. TX
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