Doane Robinson, born on October 19, 1856, in Sparta, Wisconsin, was the son of George McCook and Rhozina (Grow) Robinson, both from Revolutionary War lineage. He began his career as a country schoolteacher before moving to Lyon County, Minnesota, where he studied law. After relocating to Watertown, South Dakota, in 1883, Robinson became active in publishing, editing the Yankton Gazette and founding the Monthly South Dakotan. He also played a key role in establishing the South Dakota State Historical Society in 1901. Robinson authored several works, including a history textbook and a poetry collection. He married Jennie Austin in 1884, with whom he had two sons.
Doane Robinson was born at Sparta, Wisconsin, on October 19, 1856, the son of George McCook and Rhozina (Grow) Robinson. Both father and mother are from old Revolutionary stock. The family were farmers in the Beaver Creek valley, three miles north of Sparta. Mr. Robinson received his early education in the country schools and in his youth became a country schoolteacher. Upon attaining his majority he went to Lyon County, Minnesota, and settled upon a government homestead, soon thereafter taking up the study of law under the preceptorship of a firm of lawyers in the neighboring village of Marshall. After admission to practice, in June 1882, he entered the Wisconsin Law School, taking the senior-year course. On August 4, 1883, he became a resident of Watertown, South Dakota, and has since been an enthusiastic Dakotan.
In 1884 he engaged in the newspaper business at Watertown and from that date has generally been interested in the publishing business. In 1896 he became editor of the Yankton Gazette, continuing in that position until November 1899, when he withdrew from the Gazette to give his entire attention to the Monthly South Dakotan, a literary and historical magazine which he had established on May 1, 1898, and of which he is still the editor. Mr. Robinson has enjoyed moderate success in legitimate literary lines, both in prose and verse, and his work has for the past fifteen years appeared regularly in the standard magazines, particularly the Century. Through his efforts the State Historical Society was organized and chartered by the legislature in January 1901, and he has since been secretary and executive officer of that organization, which is doing commendable work. In addition to this history, he is the author of two books, “Midst the Coteaus of Dakota,” verse, and “A History of South Dakota from the Earliest Times,” a school textbook.
On December 4, 1884, Mr. Robinson was married, at Leon, Wisconsin, to Miss Jennie Austin, whose death occurred on January 24, 1902. Two sons were born to them, Harry Austin, now aged fifteen, and Will Grow, aged ten.
Mr. Robinson is a Republican and as such served his party as secretary of the last railroad commission of Dakota Territory and the first commission of South Dakota. He is a member of the Congregational church and of several fraternal orders.
EN: The Doane Robinson Papers were donated to the State Historical Society, and an article titled “The Doane Robinson Papers at the South Dakota State Historical Society” was published in South Dakota History, volume 39, no. 1, by the South Dakota Historical Society, which discusses the papers available.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.