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OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES:
Source:
THE PAST AND PRESENT
of
VERMILION COUNTY, ILLINOIS
- ILLUSTRATED -
Published: Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
1903
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EDWARD CONNELL
ABDILL. Among the men who, while active factors in the
world's work, left their impress upon the history of Danville,
their labors proving a potential force for good in the
upbuilding and development of the city, Edward Connell Abdill
was numbered. His life record had its beginning in
Perrysville, Indiana, May 14, 1840, his parents being Irad
and Rebecca Ann (Watson) Abdill. The former was born in
Cadiz, Ohio, in 1811, and the latter's birth occurred in
Maryland in 1812. The father devoted his life to the conduct of
a hardware business, being proprietor of a store for a number of
years in Perrysville.
Edward Connell Abdill was one of a family of four
sons to reach maturity. He spent his youthful days in his
native city and largely acquired his education in the public
schools there, although for a brief period he was a student in
Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He celebrated the
attainment of his majority only a short time prior to his
enlistment for service in the Civil war. In August, 1861,
his patriotic spirit being aroused by the continued attempt of
the south to overthrow the Union, he joined Company B, Eleventh
Indiana Volunteer infantry, Colonel Lew Wallace
(afterward General) then commanding the regiment. He
participated in a number of hotly contested battles, including
two which resulted in the capture of Fort Henry and Fort
Donelson. He was afterward detailed for special mail service,
having charge of the mails and dispatches at General
Grant's headquarters. This service he rendered so
efficiently that in December, 1863, after the fall of Vicksburg,
he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and adjutant of
the One Hundred and Twentieth Indiana Infantry, and was
designated by General Grant to bear to the north
the official dispatches announcing the great victory. He was
afterward made assistant adjutant general of the First Brigade,
First Division, Twenty-third Army Corps. He took part ir the
battle of Vicksburg, was in the Atlanta campaign and in August,
1864, was honorably discharged because of physical disability.
His record as a soldier was a most creditable one. He never
faltered in the performance of any duty although he was often in
most hazardous positions and his bravery and loyalty no one
questioned. Mr. Abdill became a resident of
Illinois following the close of the war in 1865 and opened a
hardware store in Fairmount, where he carried on business for
three years. Seeking a broader field of labor, he removed to
Danville in 1868 and entered into partnership with his older
brother under the firm name of Abdill Brothers,
dealers in hardware. He continued in business to the time of
his death and was numbered among the leading merchants of the
city. Careful analyzation of the methods he followed displayed
not a single esoteric phase. He was straightforward and
honorable in all that he did and saw success in the legitimate
lines of trade, gaining his patronage by reason of his
progressive methods and his unquestioned business
integrity.
While the Civil war was in progress Mr. Abdill
was married on the 13th of August, 1863, to Miss Anna Peters,
a daughter of Joseph Peters, one of Danville's
oldest pioneer residents, who came to the city in 1833. A
contemporary biographer in writing of him said: "He made his
way here an entire stranger. he had no capital and was without
influential friends or acquaintances at this place and from an
obscure position he rose to one of eminence, leaving the ranks
of the many to stand among the successful few. Soon after his
arrival he took up the study of law and in order to support
himself while pursuing his law studies he engaged in driving a
team and followed other occupations that would yield him an
honest living. During this time he devoted all his leisure to
the mastery of jurisprudence and eventually was admitted to the
bar. He then entered upon the practice of his profession and
soon gave proof of his marked ability as a lawyer. He was strong
in argument, logical in his deductions and prosecuted his cases
with great clearness. His devotion to his clients' interests
was proverbial, and he prepared his cases with great clearness.
At an early age, such was his marked ability in his profession,
he was elected county judge of Vermilion county and served two
terms. Other public honors were conferred upon him, including
election to the office of state senator, and he left the impress
of his individuality upon the legislation enacted during his
membership in the upper house. While serving in the senate he
contracted a cold which greatly undermined his health. He went
to Denver, Colorado, hoping that he would be benefited by the
change but it was of no avail and he died at the comparatively
early age of forty-seven years. In his political affiliations he
was a republican. He studied closely the questions and issues of
the day and had a statesman's grasp of public affairs.
"During his association in Vermilion county he was known as the
wit of the Vermilion county bar. He was serving as state
senator from his district at the time of his death, which
occurred on the 4th of July, 1866, when he was forty-seven
years of age. He was a devoted member of the Methodist
Episcopal church. contributing most generously to its support,
and did all in his power to promote the growth and extend the
influence of Christianity. He married Henrietta
Blakely, a native of Kentucky, who died at Danville at the
age of fifty-six years. Their family numbered four children
including Mrs. Abdill who by her marriage became
the mother of four children: Charles P., who married
Flora Foster of Covington, Indiana, and is now in business
in Chicago; Bertha W., who married Ernest English,
now a resident of Memphis, Tennessee; Harry B., of
Chicago; and Kate, who married Philip B. Voorhees,
of Danville.
In early days before the Civil war Mr. Abdill
was a supporter of the democratic party but when the republican
party became the avowed advocate of the Union cause he joined
its ranks and was ever afterward one of its stalwart champions.
He was a most public-spirited man, and any movement tending
benefit the community received his endorsement and many times
his substantial support. He was one of the founders of hte
Lake View Hospital and his efforts were an element in its
substantial development. He was likewise one of the
organizers of the Kimber Methodist Episcopal church and served
as chairman of the building committee at the time of the
erection of the present house of worship. Purchasing
property, he rebuilt a residence thereon transforming it into a
modern home, which he occupied for thirty-five years. He
was officially connected with the Spring Hill Cemetery
Association as its secretary and treasurer, and he belonged to
the Loyal Legion and was largely interested in locating the
soldiers monument at Danville. His support of any movement
was always sure to secure for it other followers for he was a
man of influence in the community. It was recognized that
his judgment was unusually sound and it was well-known that no
movement that was in any way detrimental to the best interests
of the community would receive his endorsement. Any goods
work done in the name of charity or religion was sure to find
him a cooperant factor. Kindness and geniality were among
his strongly developed characteristics, and his life was a proof
of the Emersonian philosophy. "the way to win a friend is
to be one." It has been said, "Not the good that comes to
us but the good that comes to the world through us is a measure
of our success," and judging in this way the life record
of Edward Connell Abdill, who passed away in Danville,
Feb. 20, 1901, was a most successful one.
Source: The Past &
Present of Vermilion County, Illinois - The S. J. Clarke
Publ. Co, Chicago - 1903 - Page 983
Contributed by Mary Paulius |
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WILLIAM M. ACTON.
Among the young men of Vermilion county successfully practicing
at the bar and also prominent in political life is Willialm M.
Acton, whose birth occurred in this county on the 30th of
August, 1876. He is a son of William H. and Eliza J. (Laflin)
Acton. The father was a native of Ohio, and in 1830
removed to Vermilion county, locating in Pilot township, where
he engaged in farming and stock raising and was known as one of
the progressive agriculturists of this community. He died
February 27, 1899, at the age of sixty years, respected by all
who knew him. His widow still survives him and is now
living in Potomac, Vermilion county. The paternal
grandfather of our subject was James Acton, a native of
Kentucky, and he became a pioneer settler of this county.
Matthew Laftin, the maternal grandfather, was also one of
the early residents of the county and both aided in the
material development and upbuilding of this portion of the
state.
After acquiring this literary education in the public
schools, William M. Acton further prepared for the duties
of an active business career by a course of study in the
Danville Business College, of Danville, Illinois. He also
pursued the classical course in Greer College, in Hoppeston,
Illinois, where he was graduated in 1896 with the valedictorian
honors of his class. Desiring to make the practice of law
his life work, he then began reading in the office of C. L.
Chamberlin, of Hoopeston, while later J. W. Keeslar,
of Danville, was his preceptor. In October, 1899, he was
admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Mr. Keeslar.
He is now assistant state's attorney, to which position he was
appointed in December, 1900. His success has come soon,
because of his equipment unusually good. Along with those
qualities indispensible to the lawyer - a keen, rapid, logical
mind plus business sense and a ready capacity for hard work - he
brought to the starting point of his legal career eloquence of
language and a strong personality.
On the 29th of November, 1899. Mr. Acton
led to the marriage altar Miss Adolyn M. Herlocker, a
daughter of the late U. R. Herlocker, of Danville.
The young couple have many friends in this county. Mr.
Acton is identified with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen, to the
Tribe of Ben Hur, and to the Methodist Episcopal church, all of
which indicate the high character of his social life and his
religious belief. In politics he is a Republican, takes an
active part in campaign work and has delivered many addresses in
behalf of his party. for he believes that one of the salient
features of good citizenship is the endorsement of political
principles pertaining to good government.
Source: The Past & Present of Vermilion
County, Illinois- Chicago - The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Co. - 1903 - Pg. 325 ok |
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ELLIS ADAMS was
born in Sussex county, New Jersey, September 25, 1817. His
father was Joseph Adams, at one time county judge of
Sussex county, and his mother was Margaret Post of the
same county. He worked on a farm and helped in the mill
during the summer, getting some schooling during the winter,
until he was fourteen years of age. He then clerked in a
county for one year. At the age of fifteen he accepted a
clerkship in Newburg on the Hudson river, sixty miles from New
York city, remaining with the firm of William O. Mailler &
Company for four years.
At this time he began to feel the need of a better
education, so resigning his clerkship, he began attending an
academy at Florida, Orange county, New York. After six
months of academy work the principal told him if he was still
sure he was going to be a merchant that the academy work was not
suited to his needs. Acting on the advice, he reported to
the firm for whom he formerly clerked at Newburg, New York.
One of the firm took him to New York city and introduced and
gave him a recommendation to the firm of C. W. & I. T.
Moore & Company, wholesale dry goods. He was coon
considered one of the best clerks and was getting on nicely with
the work for which he seemed to have a natural aptitude, when he
received word from home that his father had sold his farm,
stock, etc., with the avowed intention of moving to the Rock
river in Illinois, and wished him to go with them, to the then
(so called) far west. His mother's entreaties, added to
the rest of the families' wishes, finally led him to make a
promise they wished, though to give up a fine position that was
suited to him in every way, was a very hard thing to do.
His employers were very kind to him and, and although they were
sure the change was a bad one for his future, they would not
advise him against what they knew would be against the wishes of
his parents. He had made a very short visit home and had
returned to fill his position until everything was ready for the
moving of his family, when he received a message from his father
to meet him at once at the merchant's house in the city.
On going to the hotel his father met him and told him all of the
plans were changed. He had just returned from the south
and while there had purchased a plantation near Spottsylvania
Court House. He told his father he did not wish to go
south, had never made any promise to go south and he felt fully
assured the move was a very bad one for all of them. He
also pleaded against the giving up of a lucrative position with
every chance for promotion, to go and live on that poor Virginia
land, with no show for more than a bare living. But his
father's persuasions and his mother finally saying should would
not go unless he did caused him to yield and he reluctantly
consented. At the appointed time he took a steamer on the
Hudson river for Newburg, a distance of sixty miles, then a
state for forty miles southwest for home. Here he found
all hurry and preparation for the move. Part went in
wagons and part in public conveyance on account of there being
no railroad to Washington city. At Washington, they took a
steamer on the Potomac to Acqua creek, a distance of forty
miles. From there they took a state for all of them who
were not driving wagons, to Fredericksburg, Virginia. They
were then fifteen miles from the plantation which had been
bought. Here they found a very pleasant and well located
plantation. There was a number of good cabins, a nice
house, with plenty of room, large stables and abundance of
fruit. But in the fall the whole family were taken down
with bilious fever and had a very serious time, but all finally
recovered excepting Mr. Howell, his sister Ann's
husband, who was buried under the shade of two persimmon trees,
where afterward were buried our subject's father, mother and
sister. Twenty-six years afterward he was there and had a
new fence built around the graves.
Mr. Adams' experience on a Virginia farm was not
a satisfactory one. The soil was too poor for anything but
fruit and of this there was always an abundance. He found
that it was impossible to keep up the fertility of the land and
make it pay the expense. Knowing Virginia was no place for
him, he planned to go away from home again but finally yielding
to the wishes of his mother, he made her a final promise no to
leave home until after her death. She died at the age of
fifty-nine years. In speaking of this period of his life,
he always said he had never felt sorry he had remained at home
to please his mother and sisters, although from a financial view
it was five years of wasted time. During the time he made
his home in Virginia, his sister Sarah married James
W. Howard , who is well and favorably known to many of the
people in Fairmount. His sister Eleanor married
Robert Chewning. She died three years later. His
sister, Ann, during the same period became engaged to
Samuel King, his future wife's brother. Ellis Adams
was married to Amanda R. King, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, December 5, 1844. His father's family
moved to the north again in 1845, having lost about all they
had.
After his marriage Mr. Adams went to work for a
Mr. Reeves of Goshen, Orange county, New York, with whom
he remained two years. Mr. Reeves did a general
business in almost every line; dry goods, groceries, iron,
western flour, bought and sold grain and liquor. He told
Mr. Reeves he would handle anything he had except liquor and
he was never asked to touch that while he was there.
Before his first year's work was over he was often sent to New
York to buy goods for the firm. His son, Frank K. Adams,
was born in Goshen, Orange county, New York, July 3, 1846.
He remained with Mr. Reeves two years and then went in
the general merchandise business for himself at Unionville,
Orange county, New York, fifteen miles from Goshen, and was in
business there for fifteen years. At the end of that time
he sold off everything and prepared to go west. At this
time his old employer, Mr. Reeves, went to Unionville and
made him an offer of one-half his large business and place him
in charge of it, but as he had made all his arrangements to go
west he refused the offer in spite of its being a fine business
opening. He had always done a big and lucrative business
in Unionville and had become tired of so much confinement and
concluded to go west and buy a farm. In the fall of 1856,
he packed his valise and paid a short visit to his
brother-in-law, P. R. Davis who lived in Fairmount,
Illinois. He was much pleased with the country and bought
a piece of land of Samuel Daugherty, and went home again
by way of Chicago and Niagara Falls. He wrote his wife
what he had done and when he was coming home, etc. He then
went on home, made a short stay, went on to New York city
attended to some business and was back home again before the
letter reached his home.
In 1857 he closed out everything and came west with his
family, J. W. Howard family coming with him. His
family at this time consisted of his daughter, Anna M.,
and son G. Clarence Adams. His oldest son, Frank
K. was in Connecticut attending school and did not come west
until the next year. Himself and family boarded for the
summer at the home of P. R. Davis, and in the fall went
back to their eastern home again to spend the winter. He
found the goods at the home as they had left them, all in good
order. But all the family were in bad condition
physically from the effects of chills and fever. All had
yellow skin and fever blisters all over their mouths.
There were many of his friends were anxious to hear what he
thought of that part of the west but when they saw his condition
not one of them cared to hear about it. At first none of
the family wanted to go back west but as soon as they were well
they all changed their minds and were anxious to return.
He sold everything off he could not take with him and moved to
Fairmount, Illinois. On reaching there he bought the house
built by John Harvey, on the corner of Court and High
streets. Two years afterward he built the house in which
he lived for so many years. The house was later cut in two
parts by George Junkerman and moved on two lots he owned
in the east part of town. Ed Carrington now owns
the lots and has built upon them and lives there.
At about this time Dr. Cou, of Homer, brought a
stock of dry goods to Fairmount and Mr. Adams bought a
half interest in them in order to give his son Frank
something to do. Making this purchase it kept him in the
trade for a number of years but he found he was not suited for a
western merchant, and turned the business over to his son
Frank, who had charge of the business for many years.
He came west to get a farm and always kept that end in view.
He kept buying land until he had four hundred and eighty acres
in one body.
Mr. Adams sent his daughter Anna to
school at Portsmouth, Ohio, for a year and then for a year to a
female boarding school at Indianapolis, Indiana, where she
completed her education. In 1870 he sent his son,
Clarence to the State University at Champaign, he being then
fifteen years of age. He passed a very creditable
examination and was admitted to the freshman year. He had
attended fro three yeas and a term when he died. A
peculiar chain of circumstances prevented his son Clarence
from completing his course. Soon after this Mr.
Adams rented or sold his property in Fairmount and removed
to Champaign, Illinois, where he remained for twelve years.
His daughter Anna was married in Champaign to Stanley
L. Conklin, of that place. This was in 1874.
While in Champaign his wife, Amanda R., became helpless
from the effects of rheumatism and had to be moved by the aid of
a wheel chair. The rheumatism also settled in her eyes and
defied the skill of the best oculists and on the return of the
family to Fairmount in 1887 she became entirely blind.
When she found she was certainly going blind she whished to
return to Fairmount and it was done. Mr. Adams
lived in Fairmount from 1882 to 1886. Then himself and
wife went to live with his daughter, Anna, in Columbus,
Kansas. His daughter's husband was in the banking business
at that place. They lived there one year, Mr. Adams
having spent four months of that time with his son Clarence
at his home in Fairmount, Illinois. At the end of the
year his son-in-law sold out his banking business and made
preparations to move to Kansas City, Missouri. Mr.
Adams then concluded he was as far west as he wanted to be
and came back to Fairmount and moved into the house no occupied
by George Junkerman. His son Clarence was
now living on the farm. His wife, Amanda R., died
in Fairmount, Illinois, September 3, 1889. After her death
he divided his time between his daughter and son, being with his
daughter during the winters at Kansas City, Missouri, and his
summers with his son Clarence at Fairmount. He died
at Kansas City, on November 11, 1891.
Source: The Past & Present of Vermilion County, Illinois-
Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. - 1903 - Pg. 1047 ok |
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HARVEY C. ADAMS
was born in Cass county, Indiana, February 2, 1870. His father,
Lewis Adams, was a native of Preble county, Ohio,
and devoted much of his life to merchandising at Galveston,
Indiana. In 1876 he removed to Crawford county, Illinois, where
he continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1903
when he was seventy-four years of age. His wife, who bore the
maiden name of Hannah Schuman, is a native of
Preble county, Ohio, and is now living in Danville.
Harvey C. Adams, the youngest in a family of
eight children, received a common-school education at
Hutsonville, and there learned the painter's trade, which he
followed for three years. He then entered the Indiana Normal
College at Valparaiso. His education has largely been won
through his own efforts. Having studied shorthand, he engaged in
stenographic work in Robinson, the county seat of Crawford
county, and became court reporter. He afterward took the civil
service examination at Indianapolis and went to Washington,
where he received a government appointment as a stenographer in
the treasury department. He was afterward transferred to the
civil service commission and still later to the postoffice
department. While in the civil service commission Theodore
Roosevelt was one of the three commissioners and Mr.
Adams took dictation from him and knew him well. While in
Washington Mr. Adams studied law at night until graduating in
1892. The following year he was admitted to the bar of Illinois
upon examination before the supreme court and located for
practice in Danville. After a short time he became secretary to
Judge Jacob W. Wilkin of the supreme court, with whom he
remained for eleven years. He then became interested in real
estate in Danville and was appointed secretary of the Vermilion
County Building & Loan Association, which position he still
fills. He has built the business of the association from
three hundred and fifty thousand dollars to one million dollars.
The Danville Brick Company was reorganized through his personal
effort and the output increased from five thousand to sixty
thousand paving blocks daily. He is now president of the
company, the business of which has been been built up largely
through his individual efforts and indicates his sound judgment
and unfaltering energy. In addition to his other interests he
was one of the organizers of the Danville Lumber Company, of
which he is now treasurer.
Aside from his business connections Mr. Adams
has rendered signal service to the county. He served for two
years as a member of the city council in 1897 and 1898, and
among other acts to his credit he was the author of the first
ordinance providing for concrete sidewalks in the city. He has
been county supervisor for four years, being elected to the
office at a time when the county was one hundred and twenty-five
thousand dollars in debt. Because of the conditions that
existed, the citizens determined to elect business men that
something might be done to discharge the indebtedness brought
about by mismanagement of county finances. Mr.
Adams and a number of business men like him were elected to
the office. Within two years the indebtedness was discharged.
They issued bonds for ten years but bought them in in less than
three years.
In 1892 Mr. Adams was united in marriage to
Miss Blanche Meserve, a native of Crawford county, and they
have one son, Stephen, who was born July 21, 1901. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Adams are well known in social connections
and the hospitality of their own home is greatly enjoyed by
their many friends. In politics he has ever been an earnest
republican, but although he held the office of alderman and
supervisor, the honors and emoluments of political office have
never been an attraction for him. He never held a public office
which had a salary attached to it. He is recognized as a
public-spirited and progressive citizen and his record has at
all times been a creditable one. Gradually he has progressed
along the lines of useful development, and in Danville and
Vermilion county no man is more respected for what he has
accomplished than H. C. Adams.
Source: The Past & Present of Vermilion County, Illinois-
Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. - 1903 - Pg. 227 ok |
NOTES: |
