HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY,
727
W. W. ABELL, architect and civil engineer, Elgin, Ill.; born at Cummington, Hampshire County, Mass., Nov. 7, 1853; educated in public and private schools in his native State, and, after completing his educational training, became assistant to an architect and engineer. His first practical professional experience was with an engineering corps of the Massachusetts Central Railway; was later with a similar party employed by the Inter-Colonial Railway Company of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and afterwards became associated with an architectural and engineering firm at Springfield. Mass. In 1873 Mr. Abell located in Elgin, I!]., where he became connected as a draftsman with the Elgin National Watch Company, continuing in that capacity for eighteen years. In February, 1891, he established private offices in Elgin and Chicago, but three years later discontinued his branch office in Chicago, and has since operated exclusively in Elgin, where he conducts a large and increasing business as a result of thorough preparation, long experience and careful business management, his field of operations extending into nearly every State in the Union. In social relations Mr. Abell is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Illinois Society of Civil Engineers and
Surveyors, Order of United Workmen, Archaean Union, Elgin Century Club, and Elgin Country Club. Mr. Abell's office is at 30 and 31 Home Bank Block, and his residence 527 Laurel Street, Elgin, Ill.
FREDERICK H. ACKEMANN was born at Winzlar, Province of Hanover, Germany, Feb. 2, 1869, son of Henry and Wilhelmine (Walbaum) Ackemann, where he attended the public school and afterwards a private school at Pr. Olten-dorf. Westphalia. After leaving school he entered the Government service in the Postal Department, from which he resigned in the fall of 1887 and came to America, arriving at Elgin, Ill., in November of that year. He commenced work in the dry-goods store of his brother, W. D. Ackemann, where he remained three months, when he was offered and accepted a position in the real-estate and investment office of Hon. William Grote, a life-long friend of the Ackemann family. Knowing that, in this country, each man was master of his own destiny, he set out with a strong will to make the best of his opportunities and realize his ambition, and his efforts have been crowned with a gratifying success. While devoting his energy to the real-estate and investment business, he became interested with his brothers, Henry and Conrad, in the furniture and undertaking business in 1893, and in the spring of 1894, in company with his brother Henry, erected the large business block known as the "Ackemann Bros.' Block." The following year he joined in the consolidation of the furniture business and the dry-goods business of his brother William D. under the firm name of Ackemann Bros., and opened up the largest department store in this section outside of Chicago. This business proving a great success from the beginning, they had to add another story to their building, which is now 44 by 132 feet, equipped with electric passenger and freight elevators and all other modern improvements. The firm now occupy over 29,000 square feet of floor space, and, being still crowded for room to take care of their growing business, they contemplate adding one or two more stories to their building. This store is generally known as "Ackemann Bros., The Big Store." Mr. Ackemann is also interested in the "Courier Publishing Company" of Elgin, proprietors of the leading daily paper of Elgin, of which he is Vice-President. He is also a Director and Treasurer
