ACKERMAN, William K., Railway President and financier, was born in New York City, Jan. 29, 1832, of Knickerbocker and Revolutionary ancestry, his grandfather, Abraham D. Ackerman, having served as Captain of a company of the famous “Jersey Blues,” participating with “Mad” Anthony Wayne in the storming of Stony Point during the Revolutionary War, while his father served as Lieutenant of Artillery in the War of 1812. After receiving a high school education in New York, Mr. Ackerman engaged in mercantile business, but in 1852 became a clerk in the financial department of the Illinois Central Railroad. Coming to Chicago in the service of the Company in 1860, he successively filled the positions of Secretary, Auditor and Treasurer, until July, 1876, when he was elected Vice-President and a year later promoted to the Presidency, voluntarily retiring from this position in August, 1883, though serving some time longer in the capacity of Vice-President. During the progress of the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1892-93) Mr. Ackerman served as Auditor of the Exposition, and was City Comptroller of Chicago under the administration of Mayor Hopkins (1893-95). He was an active member of the Chicago Historical Society, and rendered valuable service to railroad history by the issue of two brochures on the “Early History of Illinois Railroads,” and a “Historical Sketch of the Illinois Central Railroad.” Died Feb. 7, 1905. [bio provided by contributor Tom Denardo # 767]
ACKERMAN, William K., Railway President and financier, was born in New York City, Jan. 29, 1832, of Knickerbocker and Revolutionary ancestry, his grandfather, Abraham D. Ackerman, having served as Captain of a company of the famous “Jersey Blues,” participating with “Mad” Anthony Wayne in the storming of Stony Point during the Revolutionary War, while his father served as Lieutenant of Artillery in the War of 1812. After receiving a high school education in New York, Mr. Ackerman engaged in mercantile business, but in 1852 became a clerk in the financial department of the Illinois Central Railroad. Coming to Chicago in the service of the Company in 1860, he successively filled the positions of Secretary, Auditor and Treasurer, until July, 1876, when he was elected Vice-President and a year later promoted to the Presidency, voluntarily retiring from this position in August, 1883, though serving some time longer in the capacity of Vice-President. During the progress of the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1892-93) Mr. Ackerman served as Auditor of the Exposition, and was City Comptroller of Chicago under the administration of Mayor Hopkins (1893-95). He was an active member of the Chicago Historical Society, and rendered valuable service to railroad history by the issue of two brochures on the “Early History of Illinois Railroads,” and a “Historical Sketch of the Illinois Central Railroad.” Died Feb. 7, 1905. [bio provided by contributor Tom Denardo # 767]
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