Notes for: Abner FOSKIT

Abner was in with some horse thieves as a buyer and seller and the syndicate was crowding him into the chasm of failure. He went to Chicago in 1881 where
he opened an ice house but this was not a success and after a few years the family returned to Erie. After Abner died, his son Dewitt (Tom) and his mother moved to Muscatine, then to New Boston and in a few years back to Zuma township.

1900 Census for Newton twp, Whiteside Co, IL:
Abner Foskett NY Feb 1850
Dewitt E son IL Oct 1877
Imoge J dau IL Jun 1884

Robert Foskitt in Lake Geneva, FL, a grandson of Abner Foskitt tells this story:

Abner had an ice house in Chicago. They cut the ice out of Lake Michigan and stored it in the ice house. Rumor had it that Abner was in with a bunch of horse thieves. He was a very goodlooking man with a handle bar mustache and a hole in the corner of his mouth where he always carried his pipe ( it grew that way).

Abner also ran a tavern in Erie and Robert's father Dewitt said the beer would be running out the tavern onto the boardwalk on down the street for half a block. Abner was also town constable for a while. Dewitt said Abner came and got him out of bed in the middle of the night - said he wanted him to be a witness, He was just a small kid and said he was scared to death. There were 3 big Swedes up town in a tavern and said they were going to take over the town, Dewitt said Abner hit each one once and they were out cold.

Abner and another family went west to Goose Lake, Iowa (west of Clinton) and homesteaded a bunch of property but could not make a success of it and returned to Erie.

Robert has heard many of the old timers say that young Abner was the best man physically that was in Erie although he was only 5ft 7 inches tall and wore a size 6 shoe. He was solid muscle and weighed 200lbs. However he died young from too much whiskey. Abner was also a gambler.