A. J. Robertson
The great-grandfather of the above—a Scotchman by birth—emigrated to the American Colonies about 1770; his family consisted of his wife and three sons. They located near Philadelphia, Pa. These three sons all took a part in the struggle for independence. One of the three—Samuel—married a Miss Hendricks, near Philadelphia, in New Jersey, about 1784. They moved to Southern Ohio at the close of the last century and located within the present limits of Warren County; here he died, but the date of his death is not known. Of his family we will only speak of Samuel, the second son, who was born near Elizabethtown, N. J., in 1787. He learned the brickmason trade, and is said to have built the first brick house in Preble County, Ohio. This was in 1811. While building this house he formed the acquaintance of Miss Susan Van Winkle, of Preble County, whom he married the same year. In 1814 he entered the U. S. Army and received a commission as a major, by which title he was ever afterward known. They reared a family of eight children. About 1812 he entered a piece of land in Preble County, to which he moved his family and where he made his home during the remainder of his life. He died April, 1872; his wife died Oct. 1881, aged eighty six years. Major Robertson was a prominent man in his community; he was an extensive contractor on public works, was Associate Judge of his county, and also Justice of the Peace for many years.
Andrew Jackson, his eldest son, was born in Preble County in 1825. He remained at home with his parents on the farm until seventeen years of age, at which time he went to learn the trade of stone-cutting. He worked as an apprentice about two years. In 1844 he, with a partner, went to Hamilton, Ohio, and built a mill on the Hydraulic, for the purpose of sawing stone for monumental and building purposes. They ran the mill about two years, when a freshet destroyed the Hydraulic, and left him without power to work. This was in 1846, the time of the war with Mexico. In May, 1846, he enlisted in the 4th O. V. I. under Charles Brough. They left Cincinnati the last of June, and went down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans; from there to the month of the Rio Grande and up that river to Matamoras; from there to Vera Cruz; from there they marched to Pueblo, where they remained until the close of the war, when they returned to Cincinnati and were mustered out of the service. After his return from Mexico Mr. Robertson remained at home until 1851, when he came to Sidney and entered into partnership with Patrick Fehan in the marble business. This partnership continued about three years, when they dissolved, and Mr. R. went into the business for himself, which he has carried on until the present time. In 1860 he married Miss Mary E., a daughter of George D. Leckey, of Sidney. By this union there were six children born, viz., Lulu G., Clement W., Lillie S., George S., Mary I., and Nellie. Mrs. Robertson died May, 1874. She was an estimable lady, beloved by all who knew her for her amiable and self-sacrificing disposition. At her death her loss was felt, not only by her devoted husband and loving children, but by the whole community in which she lived. It would not be out of place here to notice briefly some of Mr. Robertson’s public life. While he has always been a man of rather retired and timid disposition, never having aspired to public honors or emoluments, yet he has ever been prominent in all the public enterprises of his town and county. After the close of the late rebellion, the citizens of Sidney and vicinity took steps toward the erection of a soldier s monument. After a certain amount of funds had been raised for that purpose, but before anything was done toward its erection, Mr. Robertson conceived the idea of a monumental building instead of a monument. He suggested his idea to some of his friends. who heartily indorsed it. The conception was original with him, for at that time there was no such building anywhere in the United States. He was one Of the Board of Trustees, and was appointed by them the Superintendent of the construction of the building, and to him more than any other one man is due the credit, not only of the conception, but the planning and erection of a structure that is a credit to Sidney and Shelby County, as well as an honor to their fallen heroes.
Mr. Robertson has always been an ardent Democrat of the old Bourbon stamp. Although a strong partisan, he has never been a politician, nor an aspirant for ofiice. Years ago, when his township was strongly against him in politics, he was elected as justice of the peace, much against his own desires and wishes. His abhorrence of having anything to do with law inclined him to resign the position, but by the advice of his friends he retained the office during the term, but did as little business as possible, always advising settlement to litigation. In 1869 he was elected to the office of County Treasurer, which he filled two terms. On his election to the second term he received a greater majority than any other man on the ticket. Beside these ofilces, he has filled the various municipal as well as township ofilces, all without solicitation on his part.
As a compliment to him, his comrades in arms at the organization of the Ohio State Mexican Veteran Association in 1874, held at Dayton, elected him President of the Association, and again re-elected him in 1882 and 1883, a position of which any man might be proud, for among the veterans are found such men as Gen. George W. Morgan, Gen. Thomas L. Young, Gen. Geo. W. McCook, and other men of national fame and reputation.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883