The Turnbo Manuscripts

by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925


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GOING TO SCHOOL AND WADING RUBIDOO CREEK
By S. C. Turnbo

On the 25 of June 1906 I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Mr. William F. Robinson who lived one half a mile east of Oneta Post Office Indian territory. Mr. Robinson is an old pioneer of Pulaski County, Mo. He is a son of Pleasant and Rhoda Robinson. His mother was a daughter of Ezekiel McNeely an early settler in Pulaski. William Robinsons grandfather James Robinson was one of the first settlers in that county and his son Pleasant Williams father was quite a little boy when he arrived there. He settled a farm on Rubidoo Creek a tributary of the Gasconade River 12 miles south of Waynesville where William the subject of this sketch was born February 10, 1846. William’s father Pleasant Robinson and his grandfather James Robinson died many years ago and are buried in the Robinsons grave yard on the old James Robinson farm. In refering to the early school days in Pulaski County Mr. Robinson said that the first school he attended was taught by Solomon Young a one eyed man in a little round log cabin with puncheon floor made from Linn tree logs split open and roughly hewed seats were used of the same material with auger holes bored in the ends and wooden legs drove in to hold the benches up. I have a vivid recollection that I took no interest to learn my book at this school being only 5 years old I thought I was too young to leave my mamma. But she hired me to go a short time and I learned my alphabet in the blue back spelling book. Rubidoo Creek a small stream was between where we lived and the school house. It only afforded a little water at the time I speak of but during a freshet it was a river but when I went to school the water was at a low stage and I waded across it of mornings and evenings on my way to school and back home. It is natural for old people to call to mind little incidents of their childhood days and for this reason I often think of Rubidoo Creek. Other children who was sent to this subscription school was my little brother and sister Ezekiel and Susan Robinson and Zeke, William, Margarette and Melphena children of Mr. Carlock and Malinda Low and John and Tom Norris and their aunt Miss Nellie Norris. John and Mary Watson had two daughters that went to this same school whose names were Drucilla and Malinaa. In the year 1856 when I was ten years old I was sent to another school that was taught by a man of the name of Hatley which was five miles from where we lived. I only got to go only a short time but I tried to learn my lessons while I was going and got half way through my blue back speller. My associates at this school were the same two Watson girls just mentioned, also John and Malinda Vinsons three children, Artie, Sarah Ann and Jim and two of Bert Cooks girls Liddie and Martha and and Alaxander and Isaac Balaam Robinson, Lucinda Baker and Margarette Turnbull and three other children whose given names were Henry, Sis and Mahala.

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