"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"
Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.
Biography
Adams, William the well known and popular proprietor of the Lakota, Sanborn and Adams resorts on the north shore of Big Twin Lake, in the town of Conover, Vilas County, was born in Garbenheim, Germany, Sept, 5, 1857. He was educated in the public schools of his native land and subsequently entered a brewery to learn the trade, continuing in that occupation until 1875. He then came to the United States, locating first in New York City. At Fort Lee and at Turner's Hall in the state of New York he learned something about the summer resort business, spending about a year at it as an employee. Then coming west to Wisconsin, he located at Reedsburg, Sauk County, where he followed his trade of brewer for a year. Following that he was employed for eight years in the Schlitz brewery at Milwaukee. Then he operated for a while in real estate and ran the Pabst Hotel in North Milwaukee. In 1903 he came to Vilas County and bought 135 acres on the north shore of Big Twin Lake, which then lay in the town of Eagle River, a change in town boundaries subsequently placing it in the town of Conover. Here he established the Adams Resort, and later he purchased the Lakota and Sanborn Resorts, which adjoined it, adopting the triple business title of the Lakota, Sanborn and Adams Resorts. He also acquired the Pioneer Resort, located on an island in the lake, building there two log cabins; this he took as a homestead. Later he gave the Pioneer Resort to his son Alfred. He built six cottages on the Adams Resort, also three barns and an ice-house. The Sanborn has three cottages and a dance hall; the latter he built and he has remodeled all the cottages. The Lakota comprises the main hotel and six cottages. The hotel is 68x30 feet, with a wing 20x30, and is two and a half stories high. It contains a dining-room, sitting-room, office and kitchen. There is also a hut dining-room and 12 sleeping-rooms and can accommodate 100 guests, all of whom eat in the main dining-room. Mr. ADAMS also has an 11-room lodge on Castle Island, and he owns 200 acres of land with lake privilege on the East Bay of Little St. Germain Lake. His resorts on Big Twin cover 248 acres with a half mile of lake privilege. He keeps eight cows, runs his own dairy and always has a plentiful supply of fresh eggs, meats and vegetables on hand and his other conveniences for guests and tourists include a garage for cars, a supply of live bait and other necessities for anglers, cigars and tobacco, and guides for those who wish to explore the surrounding country. No effort is spared to make visitors comfortable. Every year little details are added that mean much to those seeking an ideal vacation place. The grounds fronting the lake are timbered with hardwood, balsam and pine and the beach affords the finest bath facilities. wild fruits, like raspberries, blueberries and blackberries abound on the premises; there is a club house with a real home-like atmosphere and a large fireplace adds to the cheerfulness of the equipment, being a comfortable place for the women folks to gather around and spend enjoyable hours. Dancing parties are also among the agreeable and popular methods of entertainment. North and South Twin Lakes hold the record for average large size "musky" fishing. Catches from these waters have taken prizes for the last three years. September and October are the best months. The lakes contain good pike, small and large mouth bass. Pioneer Lake, three miles from Lakota, has bass and pike, and Mr. ADAMS keeps two boats there on his own camping grounds. Numerous surrounding small inland lakes for bass fishing only are supplied with boats transported from the resort. Trout fishermen will find very good small streams and spring holes for bait and fly fishing, for both brook and rainbow trout. There is also good sport for the hunter, who can find good partridge and duck shooting in the woods and waters adjacent to the resort, while the highways are excellent for automobile driving, special care being taken through all the lake region to keep them in first-class condition. Mr. ADAMS keeps 12 row boats, one large launch and an Evinrude. Mr. ADAMS was postmaster at Lakota for eight years. He is fraternally affiliated with the M. B. A. U. He was married Nov. 29, 1882, to Augusta LIEDERBACH, who was born in Milwaukee, Jan. 6, 1859. He and his wife are the parents of six children, namely: William, who is foreman in a factory in Milwaukee; Cora, now Mrs. George KELBERGER of Kenosha, Wis.; Alfred, who is associated with his father in conducting the resorts; Olga, wife of Fred SMITH, who is proprietor of a resort on Big Twin Lake; Theodore, who occpies a bungalow and works for his father as guide; and Waldemar, who lives at home with his parents. The family attend the Reformed Lutheran Church and occupy a recognized social position as among the best citizens of Vilas County.
Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 414-415 (with picture), History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co
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