Intent of Marriage found in Calais Vital Records stating "June 14, 1868 Francis Robb - Bridget Ryan, both of Baring..." 1870 census lists him as Frank Robb, 26, $100 of land, "works on boom" and born in Maine. With him are Bridget (21) keeping house and born in New Brunswick, and John (1) born in Maine as well as her mother - Catherine (50) & Mary (53) Ryan (born in Ireland).
1880 census lists him as born in Maine, Irish parents and his wife born in New Brunswick, also with Irish parents (5 children).
Based on census, children's place of birth, and her death certificate, they apparently left Maine late in 1884. “Did you know Grandpa Robb and his brother had a fight and that’s why Grandma & Grandpa Robb moved on to Reno. ... the two brothers never spoke to each other again!”
April 13, 1888 they bought property in Reno at 110 Stevenson St. for $900 in gold coin from C. C. Powning. Listed in Reno, Nev. for 1900 census at 110 Stevenson St. Was a Contractor in Reno who helped build the Washoe County Court House, Mary S. Doten school and other county buildings.
Listed again on Stevenson St in 1910 census, age 65, with his wife Bridget Ann (61), and John (40), Frank (30), Clement (18), and Alice (21). He is listed as a carpenter, his first marriage of 42 years, with 8 of their 10 children living.
It appears that they were legally separated based on her filed complaints, but were never divorced. They retained their half interests in the community property, which passed on to the children when they died. That is probably the reason for the following record: Sold Lots 12, 13, and 14 Block I, Pownings Addition to Thomas E. Robb on 26 May 1919 (Book 63, pg 69). Subject to agreement action #12915 Dept #1 Judicial Court - Book of Judgement, Book O, pg 428 & Book 3, pg 63. Listed at 128 Stevenson St, Reno in 1920 with his wife and sons Francis and Clement, as well as granddaughter Almereta Robb (8). He was listed as 77 and a carpenter.
His wife died in 1922! “He fought with grandma so that she’d faint (or pull a faint) so the boys separated them. They had moved him up to 144 1/2 Stevenson (the little house in back of yours). Old grandpa Robb came into the house the day grandma died and started trying to move back in. And the boys carried him out. Mom & dad and Evelyn and I lived on Maron St near the south side school and we moved into 128 - when grandma died, to take care of Uncle Frank.”
He sold all of north half of Lot #5 in Block lettered "C" in Pownings Addition to Sam Armanko on 24 Aug 1923 - indenture for $10.00
19 Nov 1923 in consideration of love and affection he did grant, barter, sell and convey all of lots 12, 13, and 14, reserving a life interest in the above property, rents, profits and income - to Thomas E., Frank A., Anna Cavanaugh, Alice, Clement, Kati, and Ellen Scott (his children).
“Did you know he was going to get married before [Margaret] to another gal and when Uncle Ed & Uncle Clem found out, they put on masks and kidnapped him out of the Catholic church?? It was in the paper up there, I remember so well. They called them those crazy Robbs.”
He was married (2nd) to Margaret Nicholson on 27 Sept 1924, and two days later his daughter Anna went to court to have him declared incompetent and become his guardian. He filed a counter petition on 2 Oct. “And when he died, (I was 12), his widow started raising hell for her share of the property and Anna [Cavanaugh] paid her off and took over controlling interest in it.” as related by Dorothy Schorr, his granddaughter.
He was living at 138 1/2 Stevenson when he died. Death Cert gives birth and death dates, age 85 yrs, 2 mos, 26 days. He was a retired contractor since 1915, and had always performed that work. Father, Francis, born in Scotland, and mother, Anna Neison, born Ireland. He was born in Baileyville, ME (I previously had Calais). Was taken to the O'Brien Mortuary. Died of recurrent ureuira from enlarged prostate (for 6 yrs) and carcinoma pylorus (3 mos). Lived in Reno for 42 yrs (since 1887). Wife's name was Margaret, info from (dau) Anna Cavanaugh.
[Obituary] The Nevada State Journal - Monday, 22 July 1929
OLD RESIDENT DIES AFTER SHORT ILLNESS OF WEEK
Francis Robb, 85, Had Lived in Reno 40 years; Long in business of Contracting
For more than 40 years a resident of Reno, Francis Robb, 85, widely known as a contractor and builder, died yesterday in his home in this city following a brief illness. He was taken ill about a week ago, and during the past few days, his condition had become critical.
A native of Baileyville, Maine, where he was born April 25, 1844, Mr. Robb came west nearly a half century ago, locating at Hawthorne, Nevada, in 1883. Remaining there four years, where he served as deputy sheriff, he came to Reno May 5, 1887, to educate his children, and had resided here continuously since. Reno was only a small village at the time, and he took up contracting and building. He built and occupied the first house in the Powning addition when that section of Second Street, west of Chestnut, was largely hay fields.
He took a prominent part in the up-building of Reno, and was the contractor on such well-known structures as the Majestic Theater, the Orvis Ring and McKinley Park schools, and the Catholic Church. He had seen Reno grow from a small town to progressive cityhood. Of recent years, he had retired from active business. He made his home for many years at 128 Stevenson Street.
He married first, Bridget Ann Ryan, a native of New Brunswick, in 1870 in Baring, Maine, and together they had eight children, four sons and four daughters. She died in 1922 in Reno, and Francis remarried in 1924, to Margaret Nicholson. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Margaret Robb; four daughters, Mrs. Alice G. Tallman and Mrs. Anna Cavanaugh, of Reno, Mrs. Ellen Klein of Livermore and Mrs. Catherine Greeno Winsby of Oakland, California; three sons, Ed, Frank A. and Clement D. Robb, all of Reno; a brother, Dan J. Robb of Tonopah; and the following grandchildren, Almaneta Robb, Evelyn, Dorothy and Betty Ann Tallman of Reno; Mrs. Gladys Otis of San Francisco; Mrs. Maxine McDermott, Clem Greeno and Lucille, Maxine and Warren J. Scott of Oakland, California.

He was originally buried in the St. Thomas Aquinas cemetery. However, in 1962 the cemetery was acquired by the University of Nevada via eminent domain. All of the graves were dug up and moved to either Mt. View cemetery or Our Mother of Sorrows (Catholic) cemetery. Most of the Robb’s were moved to Our Mother of Sorrows.