ROBINSON TRACT
Robinson Tract was named after a man who traveled into the
area with Dr. Thomas WALKER, a surveyor. The mountain and creek
at Robinson Tract was named after WALKER.
The first recorded land owner of Robinson Tract was David CROUCH
who obtained 375 acres on April 26, 1786. He received this land
through a patent of unclaimed land by Governor Robert BROOKS.
The Narrow Gauge Railroad, built by Captain HART was instrumental
in the early industrial development of Robinson Tract because
it opened up Altoona Mines. Both landmarks have long since disappeared.
One landmark, the old Weldon School still stands but has been
remodeled and is used as a residence. The building served as a
one-room schoolhouse for grades 1-7 starting around 1915 and continuing
for several years. Teachers of the school boarded with the ROSEBERRY
Family because their home was within walking distance of the schoolhouse.
Robinson Tract, like most communities has several churches. Wesley
Memorial Church is the oldest one in the community.
Another less known, but probably very popular landmark on Robinson
Tract was "Still House hollow", a distillery owned and
operated by Rouzer PEYTON and his brother. In a book written by
the late E.P. WHITMAN, WHITMAN recalls the log home where the
distiller lived. WHITMAN added that, "Since that time the
distillers have moved farther back in the mountain and have not
the same pride in turning out the product."
The land of Robinson Tract is the same as it was years ago. Many
of its landowners are ancestors of the original settlers of Robinson
Tract and they treat it with the same respect as those who were
there before them.