Adkins, John V. bio

Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties, Iowa; By Hon. John Licinius Everett Peck, and Hon. Otto Hillock Montzheimer, for O'Brien County and Hon. William J. Miller for Osceola County; Vol. II, Illistrated; 1914, B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Page 838-839

John V. Adkins, associated with the Bank of Paullina. Iowa, was born in Schuyler county, Illinois, in 1851, the son of Ezra and Lydia (Vertner) Adkins, the latter being a native of the state of Ohio. Ezra Adkins was an Easterner, born in Connecticut in 1824, and during the earlier years of his manhood he followed the vocation of farming. Previous to the time of the Civil War he came westward, locating in Illinois, where he had farming interests. There, at Camp Illinois, he enlisted as a private in the One Hundred and Twelfth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He saw much active service and during the siege of Knoxville, Tennessee, he was so unfortunate as to lose an arm. This was in 1864 and after receiving his injury he was given an honorable discharge, whereupon he returned to his former home in Illinois, and in 1865 became interested in the hotel business at Prairie City, Iowa. In this enterprise he was quite successful and with it remained for a number of years. He followed the hotel business here for some twenty years, when he disposed of his hotel and became county auditor of Jasper county, and about five years later his death occurred in 1898 in the town of Newton. He was the father of seven children, but three of whom are now living.
John V. Adkins received his schooling in his native county in Illinois and at the age of eighteen secured a position as clerk in a general merchandise store in Prairie City, this state. In this connection he remained for twelve years, when, desiring to be better equipped for the battle of life, he left Prairie City, going to Keokuk in 1876, where he took a complete business course, which was of inestimable advantage to him in later years. In 1883 he first came to Paullina and became associated with his brother David in the general merchandise business, selling out his interest therein three years later. David Adkins had the distinction of being the first settler in the town of Paullina and followed it from its earliest beginnings up to a thriving city with varied interests and fully in touch with the outside world. After severing his connection with his brother, Mr. Adkins became identified with the banking business, which has since claimed his best efforts and to its present satisfactory state of prosperity his industry and judgment has largely contributed. In addition to his interest in the bank, he has large landed holdings in O'Brien county and also owns his residence and several lots in the town of Paullina.
In 1877 Mr. Adkins was united in marriage with Allie White, who was born in 1853 at Valparaiso, Indiana, and their union has been blessed with two sons, the elder of whom, Harry C., is a civil engineer, located at present in Tennessee, while Leigh W., the younger, follows the same profession, being connected with the Northern Pacific Railroad, having his headquarters at St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Adkins is a stanch supporter of old-line Republican principles, taking more than a passive interest in the party's affairs. The family is identified with the Presbyterian church, to the support of which society Mr. Adkins gives liberally of both time and means. He is also a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Adkins has ever had the best interests of the community at heart and is one of the citizens of the town who is willing to give something of his own time and effort to bring about better things for the community. At present, he is serving Paullina as its city treasurer and every movement for the betterment of social, moral or material conditions finds in him a more than interested advocate. The qualities, which have made him one of the successful and prominent men of Paullina have also brought him the esteem of his fellow townsmen, for his career has been one of well-directed energy, strong determination and honorable methods.