Marker and Benches at the Alexander Robinson Historical Site

On Sunday, May 21, 2006 @ 1:30 PM, a dedication ceremony was held at the Alexander Robinson gravesite (East River Road just north of Lawrence Avenue. The event was co-sponsored by the Schiller Park Historical Commission, C.C.F.P.D. and the DesPlaines River Valley Project.

Opening remarks were made by June Oulund (historian, and former president of the Schiller Park Historical Society). Verlyn “Buzz” Spreeman, Jr. (descendant of Alexander Robinson) offered information about his ancestral line connecting him to Alexander Robinson. Mr. Spreeman is descended from Cynthia (Sahsos), first wife of Alexander Robinson. Chris Heck (Eagle Scout) explained his interest in history, the local area and his motivation for reconstructing the signage at the gravesite. This was done as an Eagle Scout Service Project. Next, Michael Bloome spoke about the restoration efforts of the DesPlaines River Valley Volunteers. He explained how they are trying to restore the land back to the way it was when the Robinsons lived on it by removing invasive plants which are choking out the natural growth that occupied the land many years ago. Finally Dan Melone and Pete Gayford conducted a tour of the lands where the Robinson descendants owned farms and homesteads.

Many more photos from the dedication ceremony and of the Alexander Robinson Historical site can be found on the Franklin Park Public Library's Flickr page.

View Larger Map