Jackson Township

Location: west side of CR 550W, east of CR 600W, between CR 200N and White River

    As the directions explain, this old family graveyard is one of those on the hilly, wooded banks of White River.  The Robinette/Robinett Cemetery is still somewhat secluded.  It used to be hidden away in the middle of dense, original growth oaks and maples.  Now, however, the woods that once contained only the cemetery has a number of up-scale houses.  County Road 550W is a narrow road that looks more like a paved driveway.  A quarter of a mile down this lane is a gravel drive leading to the cleared, serene meadow of stones.  While this cemetery is under the care of the township trustee, it is still being used by the extended Robinette family.

    Two pre-Civil War veterans, possibly a third, rest in this beautiful spot:

    Elemuel Robinette, Jr., was born in 1788 and, according to a Robinette historian and American Legion's Record of Deceased Veterans, served in the War of 1812.  He brought his family to Jackson Township north of White River in the 1830s and was one of the first burials in this private cemetery.

    According to Madison County historian Raymond Davis and American Legion records, Clemuel Robinette, Sr., veteran of the Revolutionary War, is buried in unmarked grave 4, row 3, lot 2.  While Clemuel's military record is attested by the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Robinette family does not verify that he is buried in this cemetery.

    Reuben Miller, another Revolutionary War veteran, is, however, buried here in a marked grave.  Reuben was born in 1765, and his military service is recorded in the DAR Patriot Index.  He was one of the pioneers to Jackson Township with his wife Jane and son Reuben, Jr.  Members of Reuben Miller's family are recorded on Jackson Township transfer records. Reuben died in 1836 at seventy years of age.  His broken stone is in the southwest corner of the Robinette Cemetery.  In the picture at right,  Reuben Miller's stone is in the foreground; old Robinette stones and markers are in the background.

    George Robinette, 1839-1901, listed below, son of Lemuel, Sr., lived all of his life in Jackson Township on or near land settled by his family, specifically the north bank of White River.  His land overlooked the beautiful valley between Madison County and Hamilton County, the valley being on the opposite side of the river.  George married Cynthia Miller, 1849-1898, and they had five children: John, Lillie, George, Lydia, and Georgie.  According to historian Samuel Harden, "Mr. and Mrs. Robinett belong to the M.E. [Methodist Episcopal] Church, and are highly respected wherever known.  Mr. R. is a good farmer, having lived on a farm all his life."  George, his wife, and some of his children are buried with their ancestors, relatives, and neighboring friends here at the Robinette.