Asa Peter Hosmer Robinson (1822–1898) was the founder of

Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in that ...

Early life

Asa Peter Hosmer Robinson was born on October 10, 1822, in Hartford County, Connecticut, to Ludyah and Sophia Eliza ( Hosmer) Robinson. He was the eldest of seven children. His father became a prominent businessman in

Newburg, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

. Robinson attended the local schools of Newburg and studied civil engineering in college. He married Lucy Blodgett in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1845. Lucy died in 1859.

Career

Robinson became a "rodman" in surveying the route of the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Erie ...

. Following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he accompanied a cavalry expedition from the banks of the Missouri River to the city of

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Robinson then journeyed to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

where he worked for the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad.Col Asa Peter Hosmer Robinson
at findagrave.com In 1869 Robinson came to

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

to construct the first of the

St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway (St. L., I. M. & S.), commonly known as the Iron Mountain, was an American railway company that operated from 1874 until 1917 when it was merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad. History The Iro ...

. He then became the chief railroad engineer for the

Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad The Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad was a railroad that operated in the state of Arkansas between 1853 and 1875. It came to national prominence when its bonds were the subject of a scandal involving Republican presidential candidate James G. ...

. In connection with his work on the Little Rock & Fort Smith Robinson received one square mile of land south of the Cadron Ridge in

Faulkner County Faulkner County is located in the Central Arkansas region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 113,237, making it the fifth most populous of Arkansas's 75 counties. The county seat and largest city is Conwa ...

, extending south roughly from what is today Prince Street to Dave Ward Drive. He reserved the northeast corner of his property for the establishment of a town site, and the southern half as private hunting lands and as a plantation for raising shorthorn cattle, hogs, and sheep. Robinson drove a stake in the ground at the place where Conway Station was to be constructed. A post office was built at Cadron Gap, but later transferred to Conway Station in 1872. The station became the county seat of Faulkner County in 1873. One year later Robinson married his second wife, Mary Louise De St. Louis of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Conway, Arkansas, was incorporated in 1875, and Robinson was elected the town's mayor in 1887. He also became president of the local school board. He personally pledged land for the courthouse square, and several local churches. He was actively engaged in Republican politics. In 1884, Robinson laid out the federal

Hot Springs Reservation Hot Springs National Park is an American national park in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, ...

Death and legacy

Robinson died in Conway, Arkansas, on October 12, 1898, two days after his 76th birthday. Robinson Avenue in Conway is named in his honor.

Early life

Career

Death and legacy

References

Further reading