Adkins - Brothers
Family Fact Sheet
Frank and John Adkins, presumably brothers, went to New Ross in the late 1860's and spent sometime there catering to the local patients. Frank moved to Oregon and John lived in Shannondale and Marion, Indiana.
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Montgomery Medicine Men. Crawfordsville, IN: Montgomery County Historical Society, 2002.
Benjamin Franklin "Frank" and John C. Adkins were both briefly practicing physicians in Montgomery County They came from Aurora, Indiana to the New Ross area. Frank was born on the last day of 1829. He married Matilda Howard a few days before Christmas in 1866. Frank enlisted in Co H, Indiana 7th Infantry for a 3-month stint, which was the requirement at the time, serving as a Corporal. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Evansville in 1877 and did other work at Indiana Medical College. He died in Medford, Oregon with a large estate for the times, and a block of the city he owned which was named for him. He must have enjoyed erecting buildings as he began that task early on when he built his brother, Talbott A. an impressive structure in March 1875 at New Ross where Talbott ran a mercantile business and Frank was his silent partner. The man could certainly make money as by the 1900 census, he was not practicing medicine anymore and was listed as a capitalist. His wife, Matilda, ten years younger than he, passed away in Douglas, Oregon on the 24th of October 1936. Frank was a trustee of the Browns Chapel Church in Walnut Township and member of the IOOF Lodge. Daughter, Ora LaFollette Adkins was born in Beckville on the 22nd of November in 1871. After much speculation and math, this researcher has come to the conclusion that Ora was the daughter of John Adkins, not Frank. See note below on John. Ora married Austin F. Barnett who was born in Putnam County. grew to adulthood. another daughter, Ada died at age 12 and another offspring died as a child. He graduated from Indiana Medical College in 1877. Frank was the son of Wyatt and Phoebe Oaks Adkins who were married on the 13th of September in 1824 in Pittsylvania, Virginia. There were two other sons of this couple, William and Wyatt, Jr. and one daughter, Eliza Jane.
John C. Adkins was born on the 23rd of June in 1843 and passed away 15 July 1923, in Marion of a cerebral hemorrhage - buried Estates of Serenity, in Marion, Grant County, Indiana (Plot B16L17G5, findagrave.com) Enlisting in the Civil War as a private, he was in Co G, 11th Indiana Infantry from the last day of August in 1861 to the 30th of August 3 years later. Listed as a doctor with the Indiana State Board of Health, in 1882, he was likely a doctor long before. He married #1 Jennie LaFollette the 5th of June in 1870 and practiced a short time thereafter in Franklin Township, Montgomery County. Jennie died at the tender age of 19 years, 5 months, 24 days on the 2nd of February in 1872. She is buried in Shannondale Cemetery. I could be wrong, but think that Jennie was the mother of Ora LaFollette Adkins.
Note: Jennie and John were married in June 1870, Ora was born the 22nd of November in 1871 and Jennie (listed as Jane on a passport application of Ora's and the father of Ora was listed as John, not BF or Frank) LaFollette Adkins died in February of 1872. John married #2 Mattie Overman in June of 1874 #3 Viola Andrew Dec 9, 1879 in Grant County (she died Oct 21, 1884) and his 4th and final wife was Lillian Andrew (June 8, 1887 in Grant County), the only one of his 4 wives to live to an old age dying at age 70 years and 20 days. John had no other children if indeed (which it looks about 90% sure) Ora is his child.