Frederick Robinson (Wisconsin pharmacist)

Frederick Robinson
Frederick Robinson
9th, 15th, and 22nd Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin
	In office; April 1879 – April 1880
Preceded by	Asahel Farr
Succeeded by	A. C. Sinclair
	In office; April 1869 – April 1870
Preceded by	Isaac W. Webster
Succeeded by	Milton Pettit
	In office; April 1862 – April 1864
Preceded by	Milton Pettit
Succeeded by	Asahel Farr
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly; from the Kenosha district
	In office; January 1, 1876 – January 1, 1877
Preceded by	Rouse Simmons
Succeeded by	Walter S. Maxwell
	In office; January 1, 1872 – January 1, 1873
Preceded by	Jonas W. Rhodes
Succeeded by	Asahel Farr
Chairman of the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors
	In office; 1868–1869
Member of the Kenosha City Council
	In office; April 1868 – April 1869
	In office; April 1858 – April 1859
	In office; April 1852 – April 1853
Personal details
Born	Frederick Robinson; March 11, 1824; Church Stretton, UK
Died	April 11, 1893 (aged 69)
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Ann Maria Bertholf; (m. 1852);
Children	Alma (Pettit); (b. 1854; died 1915); Richard T. Robinson; Ida Robinson; Emma Robinson; Frederick Robinson; Louise Robinson; Harry Robinson;
Profession	chemist, farmer, politician

Frederick Robinson (March 11, 1824 – April 11, 1893) was a British American immigrant, pharmacist, businessman, and politician. He served four terms as Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and served in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Biography

Robinson was born on March 11, 1824, in Church Stretton, in the West Midlands region of England.[1] He was the youngest of nine children and his father died when he was only two years old. At age 15 he became an apprentice to a druggist and learned under him for five years.[2]

In 1845, he emigrated by boat to America. He landed in New York City after a forty day trip and was soon employed at a drug store in that city. The following year, he moved to Chicago and took a job with Sidney Sawyer. Sawyer wanted to establish a drug store in the city of Southport in the Wisconsin Territory (present day Kenosha, Wisconsin) and sent Robinson there to set up and run the store. For the next four decades, Robinson would be the leading druggist in the city.[2] Later in life, he would invest in other businesses in the area, and would serve as president of the First Bank of Kenosha and the M. H. Pettit Malting Company.[2] In addition to his business interests, he was a farmer, a member of the Knights Templar, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.[2][1]

On October 3, 1852, Robinson married Ann M. Bertholf in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Frederick and Ann had seven children. Their eldest daughter, Alma, married Ossian Marsh Pettit, the eldest son of fellow Kenosha Mayor, Milton Pettit.[2] Frederick Robinson died on April 11, 1893.[3]

Public career

Robinson was elected to represent Kenosha County in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1872 and 1876 sessions.[4] He was elected to one-year terms as Mayor of Kenosha in 1862, 1863, 1869, and 1879. He also served as a member of the Kenosha city council, a member of the school board, chairman of the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors, and Chief Engineer of the Kenosha Volunteer Fire Company.[5] He was a Democrat.[1]

He was instrumental in the passage of the 1882 Wisconsin Pharmacy Act (1882 Wisconsin Act 167), which established the State Board of Pharmacy to regulate the industry in the state, and was a member of the board until his death. He also successfully advocated for adding a department of pharmacy to the University of Wisconsin.[2]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly, Kenosha District Election, 1871[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
General Election, November 6, 1871
	Democratic	Frederick Robinson	1,148	58.78%
	Republican	I. L. Johnson	805	41.22%
Total votes			'*1,953'*	'*100.0%'*
	Democratic gain from Independent

Wisconsin Assembly, Kenosha District Election, 1875[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
General Election, November 2, 1875
	Democratic	Frederick Robinson	1,202	54.00%
	Republican	S. W. Maxwell	1,024	46.00%
Total votes			'*2,226'*	'*100.0%'*
	Democratic gain from Republican

References

Bashford, R. M., ed. (1876). "Official directory". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report) (15th ed.). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 469. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
Portrait and Biographical Album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin. Chicago: Lake City Publishing Company. 1892. pp. 962, 965. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
"History Mystery: Businessman chaired County Board, ran city". Kenosha News. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (2007). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2007 - 2008. p. 170.
Lyman, Francis H. (1916). The City of Kenosha and Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 36–39.
Turner, A. J., ed. (1872). "Official directory". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 450. Retrieved November 30, 2019.

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[bb1876-1] Bashford, R. M., ed. (1876). "Official directory". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report) (15th ed.). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 469. Retrieved November 30, 2019.

[portrait-2] Portrait and Biographical Album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin. Chicago: Lake City Publishing Company. 1892. pp. 962, 965. Retrieved November 30, 2019.

[3] "History Mystery: Businessman chaired County Board, ran city". Kenosha News. Retrieved December 13, 2015.

[4] Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (2007). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2007 - 2008. p. 170.

[5] Lyman, Francis H. (1916). The City of Kenosha and Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 36–39.

[bb1872-6] Turner, A. J., ed. (1872). "Official directory". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 450. Retrieved November 30, 2019.