The 2022 Robbins Bicentennial Reunion will be held in Westport, Indiana, on Saturday, July 30th, in celebration of the Robbins family residing in Decatur County from 1822 to 2022.

Date: Saturday, July 30th, 2022

Time: 11am to 5pm; informal welcome and program at 1pm

Location: Westport Community Building, Westport, Indiana (see directions below)

Welcome!

We welcome anyone descended from Jacob and Mary Robbins, through their children William, Absalom, James, Jacob II, Mary, Martha, and Margaret, as well as anyone else who would like to attend!

Attendance:

While many family members still live in Greensburg and Decatur County, others are traveling a distance, sometimes a great distance to come to the reunion.

It’s unfortunate that this bicentennial reunion falls during an unsettled time of Covid and high gas prices. Some folks may decide at the last moment whether to attend or not attend. We understand that not everyone who would like to attend are able to do so. Between this blog and the reunion Facebook page we will post photos and updates as the reunion takes place in hopes of including those who cannot attend in person.

Food/Refreshments:

General potluck.

Due to uncertainties as to how many attendees to expect, the reunion is planning on offering some food, but are requesting folks bring additional dishes of their choice (main, side, and dessert). We have considered catering, but again, due to attendance uncertainties and the fact this is being planned from a distance, we are going simple.

Program:

We are working on an informal program (to start at 1 pm) to include welcomes (to the reunion and the county), a brief history of the Robbins family, a local author visit, a recognition for the oldest/youngest and those who’ve traveled the farthest, and we’ll have some door prizes!

Family History:

We encourage everyone to bring family photographs, family documents, and family stories to share!

We have a 20-foot long family chart listing most (but not all) of the first four generations of the Robbins family beginning with Jacob and Mary Robbins that will be on display (the fact that it’s soooo long and still “abridged” is a testament to the size of the Robbins family!).

We will have family history display boards about the early Robbins landowners in Decatur County, cemeteries in Decatur County, the families who came across the Oregon Trail, and other interesting family members with their stories.

Some of us will be bringing Robbins photo albums, notebooks with family history, genealogy handouts, and more.

I (Kevin Mittge) will be bringing my laptop with a database of family members (as much as I know) as well as a portable scanner for anyone who would like to scan and share photos. We will have some extra thumb drives for those who would like to copy data and photos to take home.

We understand that the Community Building has WiFi so we should be able to connect to any useful genealogical databases while there (i.e. Ancestry, Robins/Robbins DNA Project website, etc.).

Photographs:

We are hoping to take photos of family groups and all of the attendees. We aren’t sure yet how this will work in the space (indoors and out) that we will be in but anyone with photography skills is encouraged to assist!

Cemetery tour:

A cemetery tour is being planned for the day following the reunion, Sunday, July 31st. There will be more information available at the reunion the day before, including a self-guided tour map and guide, but we welcome anyone who would like to join us as we drive around the county to visit various cemeteries important to the Robbins family.

We will begin at the very historic Mt. Pleasant Cemetery at 11 am. This cemetery is on private property, and while the owners are always welcoming to visitors, because there might be a lot of us, we set a specific time to begin the visit. Many of the following cemeteries are located next to churches and that will also allow time for their morning services to conclude.

Historical Society and Library Visits:

We are working on specific times for reunion attendees to visit the Decatur County Historical Society on Friday, the day before the reunion, or that coming Monday.

The Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library has a small family history room with Robbins-related history materials. The library is closed on Sundays, but on Friday, July 30th, should be open 9 am to 5 pm, on Saturday, July 31st, 9 am to 1 pm, and on Monday, August 1st, 9 am to 8 pm. Due to it’s small size we will not have a scheduled time but anyone interested is invited to visit!

Covid:

Covid continues to be a factor in planning events. We respect each individuals decision when it comes to wearing or not wearing a mask. We want this to be a safe, comfortable event for all!

Facebook:

We have set up a Facebook “Event” page for the reunion. If you are on FB you can always “friend” me (just search for “Kevin Mittge”), even temporarily, and I can “invite” you to the event, and then you, in turn, can invite others. The page will also be used to post updates from the reunion itself!

Publicity:

We would like as many people as possible to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime bicentennial reunion. Please spread the word! If you have ideas about publicity please contact us at the email below.

Questions?

Feel free to email us at “robbinsreunion2022@gmail.com” and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Visiting Greensburg and Decatur County:

Visitors to Greensburg and Decatur County are encouraged to check out the “Visit Greensburg” website for things to do, sights to see, places to stay and eat and more: https://www.visitgreensburg.com/

Below you will find specifics about transportation and lodging.

Transportation and Lodging:

Below are location maps and information about lodging in the area:

Closest Airports: Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) – located on the southwest side of the city – and Cincinnati, Ohio (CVG) – actually located across the Ohio River in Kentucky; both are approximately 1-hour from Greensburg, Indiana.

Lodging: motels in Greensburg include:

• Baymont by Wyndham Greensburg – (812) 663-6055
• Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton – (812) 663-5000
• Holiday Inn Express Greensburg – (812) 663-5500
• Quality Inn & Suites – (812) 663-9998
• Motel Highway 46 Inn (in nearby New Point – about 12 minutes away) – (812) 663-9335

Additional lodging can be found about 25-minutes away in Shelbyville, northeast up I-74.