Robbins Family Letters Discovered!

Found in the attic of a townhouse in Plymouth, this giant box of Robbins family papers was donated to the Historical Society in 2018. Inside are letters written by our city’s founder, Andrew B. Robbins, going back to the 1860s. The writing paints a vivid picture of Robbins’ experience as a young soldier in the Dakota Conflict and the Civil War.

Among the papers are courtship letters and poems written by Esther Robbins, one of the five daughters of Andrew and Adelaide Robbins, and a short biography she wrote for school on the life of her uncle, multi-millionaire lumber baron T. B. Walker.

Letters from Esther’s sister Amy Robbins, who volunteered for the Red Cross in Europe, provide a fascinating look at the the role of women in the First World War, as do notes and papers for Amy’s book, Echos of France, 

In addition to these personal writings, the box contains wills, business correspondence, and other documents that offer a peak into the early days of Robbinsdale. These papers amount to a first-person account of Robbins family history and that of the suburban town Andrew B. Robbins envisioned on his first visit here in 1887.

Andrew B. Robbins letter to his mother January 6th, 1863

Amy Robbins’ weekly tongue-in-cheek “update” January 9, 1919

“Diary of Esther Robbins’ Dog,” March 28, 1902