Our Family Tree

BIOGRAPHY: "Robert Irvine, Jr. was born August 21, 1781, at Irvine, Estill County, Kentucky. At the age of twenty-one he went to the Duck River Territory, Tennessee, where he married Rachel Hill and lived for many years. In 1818 they started for Pike County, Missouri with pack horses and several slaves. Their route was through a poorly settled country and frequently they camped at the huts or tents of the Indians who invariably treated them with great kindness and hospitality.
"When Robert Irvine, Jr. first reached Missouri he formed the acquaintance of an old hunter, Charles Wells, who kindly offered to guide him to a good site for a home. The offer was accepted, because he believed St. Louis would only be "a swampy French Village." as he expressed it at that time. The hunter conducted him to a splendid place....Robert bought the land shown him by Mr. Wells at the first land sale held in the state, and at once commenced to improve it to arrange conveniences for himself and neighbors. He had some money and much enterprise. As soon as the home was erected he built a sawmill, grist mill, a distillery and a blacksmith shop.
"Robert was justice of the peace for twenty years. He bought and sold large tracts of land and did much to build up the material interests of his country. He died October, 1863 near Bowling Green, Missouri, and was buried at Old Concord Cemetery, eight miles from Bowling Green."
"Robert and Rachel had one son, William. Rachel died of cholera on the trip to Missouri. Robert later married Nancy Smithers and had five more children."