Bradford County FlArchives Biographies.....Adkins, Andrew Zenas 1877 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 4, 2008, 3:16 pm Author: B. F. Johnson Andrew Zenas Adkins The rich agricultural county of Bradford was settled by a substantial thrifty people whose descendants are among the representative citizens of Florida. With normal advantages they prosper and improve their conditions and when confronted by obstacles they redouble their efforts and surmount them with an energy which takes them even beyond the point to which they possibly would have attained had the path been less rugged. Prominent among the native citizens of Bradford county is Andrew Zenas Adkins, who while still in the bloom of young manhood has attained a reputation and a standing that extends far beyond the borders of his native county. And yet he faced life only a few years ago with many difficult problems before him and the manner in which he attacked and overcame them, equipped himself for the successful practice of an honorable profession and climbed upward until he has become an influential factor in State affairs is a story which should lend inspiration to the youth of ambition in whatever station of life. He is a native of Bradford county, having been born at New River, March 16, 1877. His parents were Ely N. and Sarah A. (Sapp) Adkins. His father who was a preacher and a farmer was a native of South Carolina and in 1854 removed from the Palmetto State to Florida, locating near New River where he made his home and reared his family. When the war broke out he enlisted in the Confederate Army and while in the service the unusual hardships and exposure resulted in such permanent physical injury that he was never able to work again, so that as soon as Andrew Zenas Adkins was large enough he went to work on the farm helping to support his mother and sisters. He knew nothing but hard manual labor, with a brief period of schooling in the country schools of the county, until after he had attained manhood's estate. He was faithful to duty and remained on the farm as long as his services were needed by those dependent upon him, so that he was twenty-three years old before he was enabled to gratify his ambition for education and begin to prepare himself for his life's work. In February, 1900, he went to school at Abbeville, Ga., for four months, and during the ensuing summer worked in a cross-tie camp. He returned to Abbeville in September and after another course there entered the Georgia Normal College and Business Institute where he devoted himself to study for fourteen months in 1900 and 1901. He graduated in the commercial department as bookkeeper, and was chosen as one of the class orators, responding to a toast at the annual banquet given the class. He then engaged in business and for a year ran a country store at New River accumulating sufficient capital to enable him to attend Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tenn. He had been reading law for some time and so well had he prepared himself that after one session of nine months in the law department of Cumberland University he was graduated in 1903 and had the degree of Bachelor of Laws conferred upon him. He then located at Starke where he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of his profession. In his profession he has been in every way successful winning for himself a high place in the esteem of his fellow-members of the bar and of the community. He has an extensive and profitable general practice and is recognized as one of the leading lawyers of the section. The people of Starke honored him with the election to ae office of Mayor for the year 1907 and re-elected him to the same position for 1908 so that he is the chief official of the town to which he was only a few years since hauling the produce of his farm. He takes a lively interest in local affairs and lends his every effort to the building up and developing of the town and advancing the interests of its citizens. He is an active member of the Starke Board of Trade. He is a Democrat in politics and in the general primary election was nominated by his people for State Senator from Bradford county for the four years term beginning January 1, 1909. His election followed as a matter of course and in his race for President of the State Senate he received much encouragement and many laudatory notices at the hands of the press of the State, and as one paper said: "He is of unquestioned ability, broad, conservative, patriotic and fearless; an aggressive and tireless worker; an eloquent and convincing orator; a clear and logical debater; incorruptible and a Christian gentleman." While not a member of any church, his preference is for the Christian Church. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. III. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. McCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. COPYRIGHT 1909 B. F. JOHNSON Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/bradford/photos/bios/adkins50gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/bradford/bios/adkins50gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/flfiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb