Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, on July 18, 1860, to parents George H. and Caroline L. Robinson, J. W. Robinson was the third of six sons. He was raised on his family's farm and educated in the public school system. After finishing his public school education, he then went on to a college in Carrollton and later attended the National Normal School of Lebanon, Ohio, where he graduated at twenty-one years of age, having completed a scientific course. After graduating, he went on to teach for a while in Kentucky and Tennessee, and then made his way west to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was a clerk in a department store for a short time. Then in 1885, he traveled to Elk City, Kansas, and later to Syracuse, and then to Richfield. While in Syracuse and Richfield, he held bank positions, specifically that of a cashier. Throughout this time, he was extremely devoted to the study of law, and in 1889 was admitted to the bar in Kansas. Also during this time, Mr. Robinson married Miss Carrie Cruson on March 21, 1888, and they went on to have three children. Shortly after in 1890, he traveled west to Idaho, where he went into the practice of law in the new state in Boise. In 1891, he was appointed chief clerk in the United States assayer's office of Boise. He stayed at this position for seventeen consecutive years, later resigning in 1908 to become cashier of the Idaho Trust & Savings Bank where he stayed for 3 years. He then went back to his old position and then did various accounting jobs for the state and in 1914 acted as deputy state treasurer for six months. Then, in 1915, he was elected mayor of Boise, which he stayed for 14 months, where he implemented many reforms and improvements. He cleaned up the city by driving out the saloons and gambling houses and also closed out the red light district. During his administration he placed Boise in the front of ideally run cities with higher standards and morals. However, the course of action he pursued brought on a recall fight, which the opposition won, recalling him from the position of Mayor on June 1, 1916. After the successful recall, he went back to the United States assayer's and reclamation office where he did auditing and accounting work.
