Our reunion began with Arad and Lura Abell Robinson. They hosted intermittent reunions at their home in Franklin, CT from 1867 to 1884 for their eight children and their families.

Of their children, three daughters married three Manning brothers. These couples were Lucy and Edward; Jabez and Mary; Asenath and Benjamin. When the family decided to organize annual reunions starting in 1884, it was thus called the Robinson-Manning Reunion.

From 1884 to 1920, the reunion continued to be held at the Robinson homestead.

Then it moved to the Manning homestead in Lebanon, CT and changed to the fourth Sunday in August.

After a particularly rainy Sunday in 1957, the family decided they needed larger facilities and moved the reunion to the New London County 4-H Camp in Franklin. They also started conducting a worship service in either the Franklin Congregational Church or the Lebanon Congregational Church prior to the family meeting and picnic.

For the 100th reunion in 1984, the family changed the reunion to the third Sunday in August, introduced a Saturday night social event, and held the entire reunion at the Lebanon church.

The reunion has been held on Saturday - dancing and music - and Sunday - service and meeting - at the First Congregational Church in Lebanon since. We are currently looking into a new venue for the 140th reunion in 2024.