Note: As one of the first White settlers in Western Michigan, and an early settler in the Greater Grand Rapids area, published information on Rix Robinson can be found in several sources, although the information given may conflict from one source to the next. See the “Related Materials” section of this finding aid, for additional information sources on Robinson.

Rix Robinson was born in Richmond, Massachusetts, on Aug. 28, 1789 (or 1792), the son of blacksmith/farmer, Edward Robinson, and his second wife Eunice Rix Robinson. He was the third (fifth, or sixth counting daughter from first marriage?) of thirteen children, eight of whom were brothers, including a few that would join him as settlers in Michigan. Around 1800 the family moved to Cayuga Co., N.Y. There Rix had the advantages of the common school and Academy and at age 19 began his study of law in Auburn, N.Y. He was admitted to the bar.

His father was opposed to the War of 1812, and encouraged his eligible sons not to be available when it was their turn to be escorted into service. Instead, Rix went into business with a neighbor, Samuel Phelps, providing supplies to troops on the Canadian border. When he and his partner had not been paid, because the troops had not been paid, they followed the troops to Mackinac in 1815, to Green Bay in 1816 and 1817, and separately to Dubuque and Mackinac when the troops were dispersed. They never did get paid, as neither did the troops, but developed knowledge of the Indian trading business and Indian languages. Since for Rix, returning to the East would mean a trial and payment of large fines for not serving in the military, he decided to stay on the frontier.

John Jacob Astor, representing the American Fur Co., was impressed with Rix, and hired him to try to set up trade in an area that was then covered by the Hudson Bay Co. During 1818 and 1819 Robinson developed a relationship with an Indian Chief and tribe in the area that supplied furs, making this a successful venture. By 1821, Robinson was a limited partner in the Company and was sent by Astor to make his headquarters on the Grand River.

Robinson took over the Company’s trading post run by retiring Madame LaFramboise, and moved it to near present day Ada, at the junction of the Thornapple River and the Grand River. Robinson ran this central post and several other area posts on the Grand River until 1834.

It should be noted that this post had been established by the independent French trader Joseph LaFramboise in the 1790s. LaFramboise and Madgelene Marcot La Framboise were married in 1796. He was killed 1806 due to an argument with an Indian over liquor, but she continued to run the post until 1821.

Also in 1821 (or 1824) Rix Robinson married the first of 2 Ottawa Indian women, Pee-Miss-a-quot-o-quay(or Miss-a-quot-o-quay), in Mackinac. It is variously said that she divorced him after 100 moons or that they were parted by her death, in 1848. At any rate, she was the mother of his only child, John R., later Rev. Robinson, Methodist missionary to the Ottawa and Chippewa. Rix Robinson’s second wife was Sippi-quay-daw-da (River woman), the missionary educated granddaughter of the head chief of the Grand River Indians at the mouth, who he married in 1850. They lived together on their farm until his death in January 1875. (See newspaper clipping with an image of second wife in 295-1-3 and 295-2).

Rix Robinson was known as a Friend of the Indian, and official interpreter. He is said to have been the first white settler in Western Michigan, and Kent County’s earliest White man in residence. He is said to have built one of the first framed houses in the County, on his farm near Ada.

From 1834 until the 1860s, Rix Robinson became active in public service, holding positions including:

First supervisor of Kent Township, 1834, and/or was elected assessor in the first elections on Apr. 4, 1834. Supervisor of Ada Township, 1840. Assoc. Judge of Circuit Court for Kent Co., 1844. State Commissioner of Internal Improvements, 1846 With Daniel Ball and Frederick Hall, he was a commissioner to supervise construction of the Grand River canal, ca. 1849. Member of the State Constitutional Convention, 1850 State Senator, 1854.

He was an advocate for woman’s suffrage.

According to artist Fred S. Church’s boyhood recollections, recorded in his letter to Rebecca Richmond, Rix Robinson was very tall, 6'6” he believes, compared to his own fathers, Thomas Church, 6'3”.