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Isaac Robb was born July 22, 1760 in New Jersey.

He was a Private for the Union Army 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry in the United States Civil War He lived in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He laid out the town of West Newton, however, locals called it "Robbstown" for many years in his honor after he drowned in 1809.

The town of West Newton was laid out in January, 1796, by Isaac Robb, who came from New Jersey and took up the land upon which it is now built. When the army to quell the Whisky Rebellion in 1794 passed through this section they tore down Robb's fences, and this aggravated him so that he refused to put them up again. He thereupon made a lottery and sold off the lots for a town. The survey and plotting were made by two men named Davis and Newkirk. The founder of the town was, therefore, Isaac Robb, who after this became a trader on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, going down with goods as far as New Orleans. In 1809 his boat lay at West Newton, and, when visiting it one night when the river was rising rapidly, he missed his bearings and fell into the water and was drowned, although he was said to be a splendid swimmer. Originally the town had been called West Newton, but, being founded by Mr. Robb, for many years it was universally called Robbstown in honor of him. But in 1835, when they began to talk of having the village incorporated, the original and proper name was restored to it, and by this name it has since been known.