16 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



in 1850 estimated these at 635 2/3 acres, with a value of 

 approximately six thousand dollars. 1 



When Solon first settled in northern Indiana in 1834 

 he called the region "Oakland county." The prairie sec- 

 tion in the vicinity of his cabin soon became known as 

 "Robinson's Prairie" and as such it appears on contem- 

 porary maps. 2 



At the legislative session of 1835-36, Porter County 

 was organized and Lake County formed from the western 

 half of Porter and part of Newton. West Porter, or Lake, 

 for judicial purposes, was attached to Porter County. 



On April 13, 1836, the board of commissioners of Por- 

 ter County divided Lake into three townships, and or- 

 dered each township to elect a justice of the peace. Solon 

 Robinson, who lived in the central township, Clark, was 

 elected justice for that district, an office which he held 

 until the formal organization of the county. At the May 

 session he is listed among the petit jurors of Porter 

 County. At the same session he was made one of two 

 overseers of the poor. Upon petition by Robinson to the 

 commissioners, in July, 1836, additional territory was 

 added to Clark Township. 3 



Lake County was organized under provisions of an 

 act of January 18, 1837, effective February 15. 4 A vote 

 for officers took place on March 28, resulting in Solon's 

 election as county clerk, a position which he held until 

 1843. The Robinson brothers erected a log building in 

 which to hold court and the first session took place in 

 October. 5 



1 Robinson Account Book, 1840-1853. 



8 Post, map facing page 352. 



' Hamilton, William J., Notes from record of County Commis- 

 sioners, Porter County, made in 1933; Ball, Lake County, from 

 1834 to 1872, 50-51, 204; Goodspeed and Blanchard (eds.), Counties 

 of Porter and Lake, 418-19. 



'Laws of Indiana, 1835-36 (general), pp. 51, 84; 1836-37 (gen- 

 eral), pp. 55-56. See Pence, George, and Armstrong, Nellie C, 

 Indiana Boundaries . . ., 67, 550 (Indiana Historical Collections, 

 volume 19, Indianapolis, 1933). 



5 Ball, Lake County, from 1834 to 1872, 51, 204-6. 



