William Anderson

William Atkinson, son of William and Jane (Lambert) Atkinson, was born in England, March 14, 1835. His father was born there, May 24, 1796. On February 4, 1826, he was united in marriage with Miss Jane, daughter of James and Mary Lambert, the latter born July 23, 1804. Several years after their marriage they emigrated to America and settled at Philadelphia, Pa., where Mr. Atkinson was bookkeeper for a large wool purchasing firm. Several years were spent in various parts of the East and in 1853, he and two of his sons came to Illinois to prepare a home for the family, who followed them hither in 1854, making a home in Marshall county for three years. Having purchased eighty acres on section three, Valley township, they came while the place was wild, unbroken prairie. On February of 1866, Mr. Atkinson, after an illness of three weeks, slept his last sleep in his seventy- first year. His widow remained with her children until 1884, when the last summons came to her also, in her eightieth year. Of their ten children five are still living, four of whom are in Stark county and one in England.

William Atkinson and his sister Mariah J., with filial affection clung to their parents and their old home, and since the death of their parents they have together taken the management of the farm. The original farm has been considerably increased, as shown in the list of present landowners.