William "W. J." Abrams (March 19, 1829September 12, 1900) was an American railroad surveyor, railroad businessman, and politician. He served as a member of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

and the

Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

, and was the 21st and 23rd Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Early life

Abrams was born in Cambridge, New York, the son of Isaac T. Abrams and Ruth (Hall) Abrams. He attended school in Cambridge and

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

before studying

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Williamstown, Massachusetts Williamstown is a town in the northern part of Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, United States. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolit ...

. He was not able to finish his studies due to poor health.

Career

Abrams completed railroad surveys from Lake Michigan to Ontonogan, Michigan before moving to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

in 1856, and settling in Green Bay in 1861. He was involved in water transportation facilities before becoming a railroad businessman. He was a promoter for the Green Bay and Lake Pepin Railroad, which would become the

Green Bay and Western Railroad The Green Bay and Western Railroad served central Wisconsin for almost 100 years before it was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central in 1993. For much of its history the railroad was also known as the Green Bay Route. At the end of 1970 it operat ...

. Abrams served as Chairman of the Board and President for the railroad. Abrams was a Democratic member of the State Assembly from 1864 to 1867 and the State Senate from 1868 to 1869. He was later Mayor of Green Bay in 1881 and again from 1883 to 1884. He served as Vice-President of the Soldiers Orphans Home in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. In 1881, Abrams owned land where the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad built a depot in the area that was to become

Abrams, Wisconsin Abrams is a town in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,960 at the 2020 Census. The census-designated place of Abrams is located in the town. History Abrams was named after W. J. Abrams, Wisconsin legislator and form ...

. The town of Abrams was named in his honor. Abrams died on September 12, 1900 in Wisconsin and is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Personal life

In 1854, Abrams married Henrietta T. Alton. They had three children, Kate, Ruth and

Winford Winford is a village and civil parish within the Chew Valley, Somerset, England. It is within the unitary authority of North Somerset about south of Bristol. The parish has a population of 2,153. The parish includes the village of Felton whi ...

. Their son Winford also served as Mayor of Green Bay.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrams, W. J. People from Cambridge, New York Mayors of Green Bay, Wisconsin Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators 19th-century American railroad executives American railroad executives American railway entrepreneurs 1829 births 1900 deaths 19th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly