The History of Benton County Missouri, 1971, Volume 3, The People, ILLUSTRATED,
Written and Compiled by Kathleen Kelly White and Kathleen White Miles, p. 87:
E. T. ROBBINS Warsaw druggist (photo)
E. T. Robbins, for many years a Warsaw druggist, died Friday evening, March 10,
1944 at home, from a heart ailment. His failing health had seemed accentuated
since the death of his wife, Maude Bagby Robbins, last spring. With Mr.
Robbins at the time of his death was Eugene Boring, who succeeded him in
business upon his retirement in 1938.
Edmond Thomas Robbins was born in Warsaw December 23, 1868 in the building
later occupied by the Enterprise at the corner of Main and Commercial Street.
His parents, W.W. and Mary Moore Robbins, had come to Benton County from Ohio
in 1866, soon after the father was mustered out of the Union Army after the
Civil War. One of nine children, all now dead, he first demonstrated his
business acumen by operating a peanut and homemade ice cream stand on the
corner where Calbert Hardware now stands. His entry into the drug business was
in 1901, when he worked in the Savage and Davis Drug Store. He was an
assistant but later bought the Davis heirs' interest and in 1908 became sole
owner. The first soda fountain in Warsaw was installed in Robbins Drug Store
in 1911 and from this same fountain was initiated cherry Coca-Colas and other
flavored soft drinks into the community. In this location, Mr. Robbins
remained to serve four generations of Warsawians. In 1926, a disasterous fire
burned the old brick building, which was quickly supplanted by the present
modern brick structure. He was considered one of the most substantial
druggists in the state.
That the city of Warsaw was the grandest place on earth to him was evidenced by
Mr. Robbins' everyday life. He never lived off Main Street. Almost every
record of major improvements in the town carry the Robbins name, either as a
leader or as a financial donor. He was always liberal with time and money
where his home community was concerned.
An ardent supporter of baseball teams, city bands, the library, he was active
in construction and management of the Community Building. For many years, he
was a director of the Chamber of Commerce, band committee and community
building board. He was a past president of Half Century.
The most outstanding music organization ever developed locally was the Silver
Cornet Band. Active here at the turn of the century, this group saw Mr.
Robbins serve as cornetist, director and composer of musical numbers. On
November 26, 1925, he was married to Miss Maude Bagby, who died in June, 1943.
Together they had a congenial life and built a beautiful home on Main Street.
They traveled extensively but found Warsaw the best place to be.
Mr. Robbins' sister, Mrs. Ida Priestley, died in Oakland, California, January
2, 1843 (sic), at the age of 84. She came to Warsaw with her parents from Ohio
in 1868 when she was 10. In 1881, she married Dr. Jos. Priestley of near
Windsor.

• Married: 6 Jul 1881 in , Benton, Missouri

1. Mary Myrtle Priestley b: 1882 in Stockton, California
2. Joseph James Priestley b: 1883 in Stockton, California
3. William Fletcher Priestley M.D. b: 1885 in Lockeford, California