newspaperman, soldier, politician, b. Marcellus, N.Y. He learned the printing trade as a young man in N.Y. state, and for a time was commercial editor of the Buffalo, N.Y., Daily Express. In 1846 he moved to Wisconsin, settling in Green Bay, where with his brother, Albert C. Robinson, he established the Green Bay Advocate, the first issue being published Aug. 13, 1846. Robinson, with various partners, was editor of this paper until 1861, and continued as editor-in-chief and principal owner until his death. A Democrat, he was Wisconsin secretary of state (Jan. 1852-Jan. 1854), and in 1869 was an unsuccessful candidate for governor. During the Civil War, he accepted a citizens commission from the President as captain and assistant-quarter master, U.S. Volunteers, serving in this capacity from Sept., 1861, until his resignation, Apr. 21, 1864. Robinson was also a founder (1853) and early president (1858) of the Wisconsin Editorial Association, and had numerous business and promotional interests in the Green Bay area. He was a promotor of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers development projects, a member of the company which built the Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan Ship Canal, and was first president of the Green Bay, Winona, and St. Paul R.R. U.S. Biog. Dict. ... Wis. (Chicago, 1877); Green Bay Advocate, Mar. 15, 1888; C. D. Robinson Papers.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Charles D. Robinson Papers for details.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]