abbott

JAMES B. ABBOTT

James B. Abbott, was born at Hampton, Connecticut, December 3, 1818. He was a member of the third party of emigrants from New England, which reached Lawrence Kansas on October 10, 1854. He lived with his wife and daughter in a small, twelve by fourteen square foot house. This house was a favorite meeting place of free state men.

Abbott was one of the party that rescued Branson from the sheriff of Douglas County. And involved in the free-state forces in the "Wakarusa War." He commanded the Third Regiment of free state infantry during the siege of Lawrence in 1856. He fought with John Brown at "The Battle of Black Jack", and was the leader of the rescue of Dr. John Doy.

Kansas Historical Society

Pictured here: James B. Abbott, Joshua A. Pike, Jacob Senix, Joseph Gardner, Thomas Simmons, S.J. Willis, Charles Doy (son), John E. Stewart, Silas Soule and George Hay. (John Doy is seated).

When statehood was achieved in 1861, James B. Abbott was a member of the first House of Representatives elected under the Topeka constitution, and in 1867 was made senator. Upon the adoption of the Wyandotte constitution he was elected a member of the lower house of the first State Legislature, which met in March, 1861. He was seated in the first state house of representatives and later served as a state senator. In 1861 Abbott moved to DeSoto. He was made The United States agent to the Shawnee Indians, and led a party of them in the1864 Price Raid defense of the state. He died in Desoto in 1897.

-Information compiled by Mark Volmut 2002
Thanks to
-Watkins Community Museum of Lawrence Kansas
-A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, (written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, copyright 1918)