Robert Allison Orbison and J. Estella Gregory

---

---

Husband Robert Allison Orbison ¹

---

           Born: 31 Jan 1849 1
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1897
         Buried: 

---

         Father: William Penn Orbison (1814-1898) 2 3 4
         Mother: Lydia Rebecca Allison (1816-1891) 2 4 5

---

       Marriage: 14 Jun 1894 1 6

---

---

Wife J. Estella Gregory ^{1 6}

---

           Born: 19 Oct 1862 - Hancock, Washington Co, MD 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: Richmond Gregory (      -      ) 1
         Mother: Ann Lewis Snively (      -      ) 1

---

---

Children

---

1 M Allison Estelle Orbison ⁶

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

2 F Virginia Gregory Orbison ⁶

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

---

General Notes: Husband - Robert Allison Orbison

---

He graduated at Washington and Jefferson College in 1868; read law with his father for two years; graduated at Albany Law School in 1871; admitted to the bar of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, May 25, 1871; was a member of the bar of St. Paul, Minnesota, from September, 1877, to September, 1878, when he returned to Huntingdon. In July, 1880, went to Washington, D. C., having been appointed assistant to the Assistant Attorney General, who had charge of defending claims against the United States in the Court of Claims; in August, 1882, returned to Huntingdon; in January, 1887, received an appointment in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth at Harrisburg; on June 1, 1887, was appointed chief clerk in the Attorney General's office, where he remained four years, and on June 1, 1891, entered the Auditor General's office, remaining one year; later was practising law at Huntingdon with his father.
He was elected chief burgess of Huntingdon February 16, 1897; the same position having been held by his great-grandfather Benjamin Elliott, in 1796, and his grandfather, Robert Allison, in 1815.

In preparation for the legal profession he took a classical course at Washington and Jefferson College, graduating in 1868, then read law with his father for two years. He was graduated from the Albany Law School in 1871, and was admitted to the Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, bar on May 25, 1871. From September, 1877, to September, 1878. he was a member of the St. Paul, Minnesota, bar, returning in the latter year to Huntingdon. In July, 1880, he was appointed assistant to the assistant attorney-general of the United States, whose business it is to defend the United States in the court of claims, and went to Washington, D. C. This position he held until 1882, when he returned to Huntingdon, receiving in January, 1887, appointment in the office of the secretary of the commonwealth at Harrisburg. On June 1, 1887, he was appointed chief clerk in the attorney-general's office, where he remained four years, and on June 1, 1891, entered the auditor general's office, occupying a position there for one year. Mr. Orbison was always prominent in civic affairs of Huntingdon, and at the time of the "Old Home Week" celebration in Huntingdon, in connection with J. Murray Africa and several others, he published a valuable and interesting pamphlet entitled "Historic Huntingdon," containing so much historical data as was never before published in book form. This had a wide circulation among the libraries of the country, because of its interesting form of composition and the light which it threw upon the history of the locality. In his research for the publication of this work Mr. Orbison unearthed some very old and valuable town documents, among which was a contract for the erection of the first court house, which definitely fixed the date of building, a date previously unknown. It also contained lists of organization of the townships of Huntingdon County. He was elected chief burgess of Huntingdon, February 16, 1897, the same position held by his great-grandfather, Benjamin Elliott, in 1796, and by his grandfather, Robert Allison. Aside from the political positions he held, Mr. Orbison was active in county politics, and was a delegate to the Keystone State Convention and chairman of the Huntingdon County committee. In 1912 he was chairman of the Washington County party committee. He was a member of the Presbyteran church, and in 1898 was elected a ruling elder of that denomination. In 1913 he was sent as a commissioner to the great General Assembly in Atlanta.

1 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 19.

2 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 438.

3 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 15.

4 John W. Jordan, LL.D., A History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1913), Pg 931.

5 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 11.

6 John W. Jordan, LL.D., A History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1913), Pg 932.