Lewis Adkins & Polly Massey
Married 24 Oct 1832 Scioto County, OH
Sources: family records, Ancestry.com., others as noted

Lewis Adkins b. 5 Jul 1812 Jackson County, OH, d. 6 Oct 1900 Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL. Burial Hermon Methodist Church Cemetery, Knox
County, IL. Parents: Philip Adkins & Elizabeth Mason. 

Polly Massey [aka Massie] b. 26 Sep 1813 Monroe County, VA (now WVA), d. 7 Feb 1895 Chestnut Township, Hermon, Knox County, IL. Burial Hermon
Methodist Church Cemetery, Knox County, IL. Parents: Thomas Massey & Nancy McDaniel—Tombstones in same cemetery say Massie.

Children of Lewis Adkins & Polly Massey

1. Charles James Adkins  b. 4 Nov 1833 Gallia County, OH, d. 15 May 1905
    + Eve C. Smith b. 1840 OH. 
Enlisted from Hermon, IL as a Private 11 Aug 1862 Union Company I, 83rd Infantry Regiment Illinois; mustered out of 
same company 26 Jun 1865 Nashville, TN. 
Four children, all born in Iowa: George W. Adkins b. 1868; Lewis R. Adkins b. 1871; Myra J. Adkins b. 1874; Charles R. Adkins b. 1877.

2. Emily Ann Adkins (+Walton) b. abt. 1835 OH, died before 1900 (see Lewis’ estate info) 
     + Lewis R. Walton  (m. 22 May 1849 Knox County, IL) b. abt. 1829 OH. 
Children: Elisha J. Walton b. 1850; Mary E. Walton b. 1852 (m. Richard H. Goforth in Knox County 1 Oct 1873); 
Charles Lewis Walton b. 1855 Abington, Knox County; Rebecca Walton b. 1858; Cyrus Walton b. 1860; 
Josiah Walton b. 1868. 1850 Census in Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL: Lewis 21, Emily 14, living as neighbors to her parents.
1860 Census same location: Lewis 31, Emily 24, Elisha J. 10, Mary E. 8, Charles 5, Rebecca 2. 1870 Census in Knoxville, 
Knox County, IL; Lewis 41, Emily 34, Mary E. 17, Charles 14, Rebecca 12, Cyrus 10,  female child age 4 
but name illegible, Josiah 2. Assume that Elisha J. Walton and the female child in 1870 Census did not survive as 
they aren’t listed in further censuses or as Emily’s survivors in Lewis Adkins’ estate settlement in 1900. 
Daughter Rebecca + Francis E. Meacham 25 Dec 1872 in Knox County. 1880 Census: Couldn’t find Lewis or Emily Walton.
Francis 28, Rebecca 22 in Buchanan Township, Sullivan County, MO, with children Harvey 7, Maude 1, and Rebecca’s brother Josiah 12.

3. Sarah Adkins b. 1836. Family record says she died young. No mention of her on any census.

4. Madison Crump Adkins b. 9 Dec 1837 Jackson County, OH, d. 4 Mar 1926 London Mills, Fulton, IL
     + Rebecca Eggers (m. 10 Sep 1856 Knox, Fulton, IL) b. 1 Jan 1840 Fulton, IL, d. 12 Mar 1910 London Mills, Fulton, IL. Madison 
& Rebecca buried
West Midway Cemetery, Young Hickory Township, Fulton County, IL. Madison enlisted from Hermon, IL, as a Private 
8 Aug 1862 Union Company I, 83rd Infantry Regiment Illinois; mustered out of same company 26 Jun 1865 Nashville, TN. 
Ancestry.com lists Madison with Distinguished Service in its database from Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers.
Children: Arizona Tabitha Adkins (+ Frank Spurlock); Samuel W. Adkins; Charles Adkins; Mary Ann Adkins b. 20 Jan 1862, 
d. 26 Mar 1923 Hermon, b. & d. Knox, IL (+ James M. Eggers b. Nov 1856 Fulton County, IL m. Knox County 9 Apr 1879); 
Rachel H. Adkins b. 1868 IL, d. 26 Sep 1945 Rock Island, McLean, IL (+ George Washington Eggers b. 25 Dec 1859, d. 27 Oct 1929); 
Bertha Adkins b. 1870 IL; Rebecca Suffronia Adkins b. 3 Dec 1875 London Mills, Fulton, IL, d. 4 Feb 1964 Prairie City, IL, 
(+ Samuel Edwin Vermillion d. 2 Mar 1950 Fulton County, IL). 1860 Census in Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL: 
Madison 32, Rebecca 30, (Polly) Anna 8, Rachel 2, Charles under 1 (apparently died as he is not mentioned in 1870). 
1910 Census in Ellisville Township, Fulton County, IL: Madison 72 living with son-in-law Frank Spurlock, 
his wife (Arizona) Tabitha, and their son Madison.

5. Rebecca C. Adkins (+ Kerns & Donaho) b. 1840 IL 
+ 1st Henry Kerns m. 25 Jul 1858 Knox County, IL. Children: Rachel Kerns b. 1866, John Kerns
b. 1869 + 2nd James Donaho 18 Apr 1878 Knox County, IL. 1880 Census in Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL: 
James Donaho 60, Rebecca 42, Rachel Kerns 14, John Kerns 11. 1900 Census same: James 80, Rebecca 60,
granddaughter Sarah Donaho 10, Lewis Adkins 87. 

6. Vinton Harvey Adkins b. 19 Jul 1844 Knox County, IL, d. 17 Nov 1927 Hermon, Knox, IL. Vinton enlisted from 
Hermon, IL, 8 Aug 1862 as a Private Union Company  I, 83rd Infantry Regiment Illinois; mustered out of same regiment 
26 Jun 1865 Nashville, TN. Ancestry.com lists Vinton with Distinguished Service in its database from Military Records of
Individual Civil War Soldiers + 1st Nancy Barton b. IL 27 May 1847, d. 23 Apr 1867 IL at age 19 following birth of their first 
and only child, Polly Millie 6 Apr 1867 + 2nd Ellen H. Tatum Nelson b. 1855 IL (father Denmark, mother NY). Vinton and 
Ellen’s children: Louis Nelson Adkins b. Feb 1869 IA + Minnie Finney b. Feb 1870 (see below) Essex County, NY, m.
7 Jun 1900 Jefferson County, NE, both buried Fairbury Cemetery, Jefferson County, NE—tombstone has no dates, 
buried next to her parents; Winfield S. Adkins b. Feb 1875 IL; George A. Adkins b. 1878 IL; Arlow Adkins b. May 1879, 
Enos Adkins b. Dec 1882, Ethel Adkins b. Jul 1883, Watie May Adkins b. Mar 1886. 1880 Census in Knox Township, Knox County,
IL: Vinton 35, Ellen 25, Louis 9, Winfield 5, George 2. 1890 Veterans’ Schedules lists family in Fairbury, Jefferson County, NE. 
1900 Census at 681 Vine Street, Fairbury, Jefferson County, NE: Vinton 56 cemetery sexton, Ellen 45, Arlow 21 farm laborer, 
Enos 19, Ethel 16, Watie May 14. (See below for Louis and Winfield.) 1910 Census in Stratton 6th Precinct, Kit Carson County, CO: 
Vinton 64, Ellen 50, Ethel 24. 1920 Census in Precinct 29, Larimer County, CO: Vinton 75, Ellen 66, Ethel 34, Everett Adkins 14, 
granddaughter Mildred Adkins 8. Marriage record of Louis & Minnie: Louis, 30, resident of Gage County, NE; Minnie, 38,
resident of Jefferson County, NE, daughter of Isaac S. Finney (1820-1902) & Almira Nichols (1825-1899); witnessed by Louis’s brother,
Enos Adkins, and sister, Watie May Adkins. 1900 Census: Louis 30 merchant, Minnie 30 (birth year Feb 1870, as opposed to age 38 on
marriage application), living in Wymore Township, Gage County, NE. In their household, Louis’ brother Winfield, laborer, gave Feb 1878 as
birth year, and Minnie’s father, Issac, 80, widowed, b. NY.

7. Nancy Catherine Adkins (+Tucker & Miller) b. 20 Sep 1846 Knox County, IL, d.  26 Nov 1936 Galesburg, Knox, IL 
+1st Josiah Tucker (m. 8 Oct 1863 Hermon, Knox, IL) b. 12 Nov 1826 Oxford, Tuscarawas County, OH, d. 14 Aug 1879 
Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL. Nancy helped raise Josiah’s first family of 8 after their mother died. 
Nancy & Josiah’s children: Emily Tucker b. 1868, Lewis Tucker b. 1870, Elizabeth Tucker b. 1872, Effie Tucker b. 1874, 
Rebecca Tucker b. 1876, Samuel Tucker b. 1879, all born in Illinois. + 2nd Daniel C. Miller m. 8 Mar 1890 Knox County, Il.
Nancy & Daniel’s children: Nellie Catharine Miller b. 25 Oct 1890 Knoxville, Knox, IL; Daniel Christopher Miller b. 1895 Knox, IL. 

8. Leander Oziah Adkins b. 18 Jan 1848 Knox County, IL + Mary Jane Roberts (See separate biography)

9. John Beckwith Adkins b. 21 Dec 1851 IL, d. Jul 1939 Council Bluffs, IA + Sarah Cathrine Tucker (m. 26 May 1875) b. 15 Mar 1857 
Knox County, IL, d.15 Jul 1925, buried Hamburg, Washington County, IA. Children: Ruben Roosevelt Adkins d. 21 Jan 1969; 
Lewis Clinton Adkins b. Apr 1878 IL, d. 23 Nov 1897; William Edward Adkins b. abt. 1881 Knox County, IL, d. 13 Jul 1936 
+ Jennie L. Maines b. abt. 1884 Jefferson County, NE, m. 30 Oct 1903 Jefferson County, NE; Madison Clell Adkins b. 26 Oct 1883
London Mills, IL, d. 31 Oct 1954 + Lurie Lucille Brown b. 18 Oct 1888, d. 7 Jun 1971; Lawrence Jessie Adkins b. 23 Jun 1886, d. 1900; 
Edith May Adkins b. 24 Dec 1888, d. 24 Apr 1965; Ralph McKinley Adkins b. 10 Jan 1892 Council Bluffs, IA; Johnnie Beckwith Adkins 
b. 26 Mar 1897; Russel George Adkins b. Sep 1902; Emmet Dean Adkins b. 6 Dec 1904, d. 25 Feb 1954. Marriage record of William, 22, 
and Jennie, 19: both residents Jefferson County, NE; Jennie, daughter of Jerrey L. Maines & Nancy J. Hulet; witnesses: M. B. Westfall
 and N. J. Westfall, both residents
Jefferson County, NE.

10. Levi M. Adkins b. 1852 Knox County, IL + Sarah Ann Brooks (m. 27 Aug 1873 Knox County, IL), b. 1855 IL. 
Children: Mary M. Adkins b. 1878; James A. Adkins b. Jul 1880. 1880 Census in Chestnut Township, Knox
County, IL: Levi 26 farming, Sarah A. 25, Mary M. 2, James 4 months. Family record and Iowa Marriage Database show 
he married Eliza Chalmers (spelled Chamless on Illinois marriage record website) 21 Nov 1883 Guthrie, IA. 1900 Census in 
Canton Township, Fulton County, IL: Levi 46, wife Eliza J. b. 1852 IN, & their children: Lewis Adkins b. 1884 IA,
Jennie Adkins b. 1887 NE, Becky Adkins b. 1884 NE, Addie Adkins b. 1891 IL, Myrtle Adkins b. 1894 IL, Buddie Adkins 
b. 1897 IL, stepson Charlie Chalmers 15. 1910 Census in Harris Township, Fulton County, IL: Levi 56,
Eliza 56, Myrtle 15, Buddie 12, grandson Elsa 4, stepson C. O. Chalmers 36.

11. Milton Adkins b. 30 Jun 1854 Knox County, IL, d. 22 Mar 1919 Hamburg, Fremont County, IA + Angeline Roberts 
(sister to Mary Jane Roberts who married Leander), b. 25 Apr 1857 IL, d. 17 Aug 1920 Clarinda, IA. 
Children: Meguire Adkins b. 4 Nov 1878 Galesburg, Knox, IL, d. 23 Jan 1970; Charles Vinton Adkins b. 31 Oct 1880 Galesburg,
Knox, IL, d. 17 Mar 1959; Enos Adkins b. 19 Aug 1883, d. 23 Jan 1932. 1880 Census: Milton 23, Angeline 22, Meguire 1, 
in Knox Township, Knox County, IL, neighbors to brothers Madison & John B. Adkins and their families and to his parents. 
1910 Census in Washington Township, Fremont County, IA: Milton 53, Angeline 53, Enos 26, Ada 18, b. 1892 IA,
neighbors to brother Leander & family. A Rootsweb posting states: “Oliver Fivecoats md. Jessie Hamel: Their daughter 
Viola M., 18, born at Hamburg (IA); married Enos M. Adkins, 30, born at Hopkins, Missouri, son
of Milton Adkins and Angeline Roberts; married on Nov. 19, 1913 at Sidney (IA).”

Lewis Adkins & Polly Massey Chronological Summary 

•1832—Lewis & Polly married 24 Oct 1832 in Scioto County, OH. First four children born in Gallia and Jackson counties, OH.

•1838—Purchased federal land 7 Nov 1838 in Knox County, IL, Volume 696, Page 99
W2NE of S17, T9N (Chestnut Township), R2E, M4, 80 Acres @ $1.25 per acre = $100. Illinois Public Domain Land 
Tract Sales Database http://www.sos.state.il.us/GenealogyMWeb/landsrch.html

•1840—Federal Census. Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL 
Lewis 20-29 years old; wife 20-29; two sons—one under 5, one 5-9; two daughters under 5. Using 1850 Census, 
Charles was son 5-9 (about 7); Madison was son under 5 (about 3). Daughters: Rebecca, infant to 1, Emily 4.

•1850—Federal Census. Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL  			           
          
Lewis 39 b. 1812 OH 								
Polly 38 b. 1813 OH (Should be VA)	
Charles 17 b. 1833 OH						
Madison 13 b. 1837 OH					
Rebecca 10  b. 1840 IL
Vinton 7  b. 1844 IL
Nancy 4  b. abt. 1845-1846 IL
Leander 1 b. 1848 IL
Left the household before 1850: Emily married Lewis R. Walton 22 May 1849 in Knox County, IL. She & husband were 
living on a neighboring farm, as were Lewis Adkins’ two brothers, James Adkins & family & Peter Adkins & family. 
Living next to Peter Adkins is the William McFarlin family, which has a listing of Philip Adkins age 1—No idea who this
child belongs to or his relationship to the McFarlins, as the 1850 Census does not list relationships to head of household. 

•1860—Federal Census. Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL
Lewis 48 b. 1812 OH 				          
Polly 47 b. 1813 VA					
Vinton 15  b. 19 Jul 1844 IL			
Nancy 14  b. 1846 IL	
Leander 11  b. 18 Jan 1848 Illinois
John 8 b. 21 Dec 1851 IL
Levi  7 b. 1852 IL
Milton 5 b. 30 Jun 1854 IL
Left the household after 1850 census: Charles  27, didn’t find a separate 1860 listing. Madison 21, married to Rebecca 19, with children
Anna 3 and Charles under 1, all born in Illinois, living in Knox County. Rebecca married Henry Kerns 25 Jul 1858 in Knox County, IL

•1870—Federal Census. Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL
Lewis 57 b. 1812 OH, Farmer		
Polly 56 b. 1813 VA, Keeps house			
John B. 18 b. 1851 IL, Works on farm		
Levi  16 b. 1852 IL, Works on farm
Milton 14 b. 1854 IL, At school
Left the household after 1860: Vinton married about 1866-67.  Nancy married Josiah Tucker 8 Oct 1863 in  Hermon, Knox, IL. Leander married
1868. 

•1880—Federal Census. Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL
Lewis 67 b. 1812 OH, Farmer
Polly 66 b. 1813 VA, Keeps house
Living nearby in separate households: Madison, 42, Rebecca 39, Rachel 12, Bertha 10, Rebecca S. 4. Polly Anna 18 not listed. John B., 29,
Sarah 21, Lewis 2. Milton, 23, Angeline 22 (sister to Mary Jane Roberts who married Leander), Meguire 1. Also living nearby was Polly’s sister,
Rachel Massey, who was married to Osias P. Barton.

•1895—Polly died 7 Feb. 1895 Hermon, Knox County, IL. Burial Hermon Methodist Church Cemetery.

•1900—Federal Census. Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL Lewis 87 living with daughter Rebecca C. Donaho. Rebecca 60, married to
James Donaho, 80, for 22 years, listed as mother of five, two still living. Granddaughter Sarah 10 and grandson Thomas 15 with them. 

•1900—Lewis died 6 Oct. 1900 in Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL. Burial Hermon Methodist Church Cemetery. 

•1900—Lewis’ estate filed for probate in Knox County, IL 6 Nov 1900. No will.
Source: Notes taken over telephone from clerk in Probate Court, Knox County, IL, 13 Jun 2005.
Personal property estimated to value $375 and real estate estimated to value $1,200. Using a Consumer Price Index calculator,
the personal property would be valued at $8,741.25 in 2005 and the real estate at $27,972 in 2005. The real estate was in 
Hermon, Chestnut Township, Knox County, IL—NW1/4 of NE1/4 of Section 17, Township 9, North Range 2E—and was sold to pay debts.

Heirs were listed as son Charles Adkins of Montgomery, IA; son M. C. (Madison Crump) Adkins; daughter Rebecca A. Adkins 
Donaho; son Vinton H. Adkins of Fairbury, NE; daughter Nancy C. Adkins Tucker Miller; son L.
O. (Leander) Adkins of Thompson, NE; son L. M. (Levi) Adkins; son John Adkins of Hamburg, IA; son Milton Adkins; 
and heirs of daughter Emily Adkins Walton (husband: Charles Lewis Walton) of Van Township, Wood
County, OK—Mary Walton Eggers*, Rebecca Walton Goforth*, Cyrus Walton, and Josiah Walton. 

[*Note: Walton daughters’ married names as read by the clerk. However, the Illinois State Marriage Database shows Mary E. Walton married
Richard H. Goforth in Knox County, IL, 1 Oct 1873. Did not find a Rebecca Walton who married a Goforth in Illinois or a Mary Walton who
married an Eggers in Illinois. The marriages could have occurred in another state, or they could have married other men first, carrying
their married name when they married Eggers and Goforth.]