Résumé

Twyman O. Abbott was primarily a lawyer and a writer, who wrote primarily on legal issues. Books by him included: Real Property Statutes of Washington Territory, from 1843 to 1889, (Olympia, WA: State Printing and Publishing Company, 1892); A Treatise on Probate Law and Practice, Embracing the Law of Wills, and the Administration, Settlement, and Distribution of Estates of Deceased Persons, (San Francisco, Bancroft-Whitney Company, 1904); Abbott's Automobile Law for Motorists, the Law of the Road and Principles of the Law of Negligence, (Chicago: Reilly and Britton Company., 1909); Abbott's Primer of Employers' Liability Law for Employers and Rules for Their Guidance in Their Relations with Their Employees (Chicago, IL: Rand McNally and Co., 1909); Road Rghts of Motorists, Containing the Rules of the Road and the Automobile Laws of All States, (New York, Outing Publishing Company, 1910); Tobacco Smoking: "Justifiable to suppress this most persistent nuisance by use of force:" a legal opinion, San Francisco, Cal., Feb. 21, 1912, (New York: Publisher not identified, 1912); and "Sound" and "Unsound" Money, (Harrisburg, Pa. The Telegraph Press, 1934). He also performed legal research for the US House of Representatives during the 1890s.

He also published at least one article (and likely more): "The Rights of the Non-Smoker," Outlook, vol. 94, no. 14, 1910, p. 763.

He was also an inventor having at least three patents to his name, two for a sleeping car (1906 and 1907) and one for a combined sash-lock and weather-stripped window (1910).

Principal, Twyman O. Abbott, Building Contractor, Tacoma, WA, c. 1889.

Lawyer, Washington Territory, c. 1885-1889.

Lawyer, New York, NY, 1909- .

Archives

The University of Washington, Seattle (UW), maintained the "Twyman O. Abbott manuscripts, circa 1910," consisting of two containers. The collection description indicated: "The collection contains a mix of typed and handwritten pages and is very disorganized. Corrections are often handwritten and pinned through the pages they correct or relate to. These pins should be carefully removed before copying and an acid-free paper clip should be used to reattach the corrections after copying. Some paper is acidic and brittle and could be damaged during copying. Therefore, material can be copied at the discretion of Special Collections staff. Handwriting is in cursive." (See University of Washington, Seattle (UW).edu, "Twyman O. Abbott manuscripts, circa 1910," accessed 06/13/2023.)

Relocation

Twyman Abbott was born in Pittsfield, IL, on 02/07/1863, during the middle of the Civil War. His father Milton Abbott worked as a printer in the year of his birth. The University of Washington Libraries's Special Collection division stated of Abbott: "Twyman Osmand Abbott (1863-1937) was born to Milton and Louisa Abbott in Pittsfield, Illinois on Febrary 7, 1863. His father was a printer and editor and Twyman worked with his father in the printing business in his early twenties before being admitted to the Bar in 1885. His family crossed the Plains in 1865 eventually arriving in Oregon. He moved to Washington in 1878, then a Territory, and practiced law in Tacoma and Seattle." (See University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.edu, "Twyman O. Abbott manuscripts, circa 1910," accessed 06/13/2023.) Judging from the birthplaces of Tywman's brothers and sisters, the family liked moved about quite a bit. His father took the family to live in IL, MN, OR, ID and WA, although the sequence of their habitations is not completely clear.

In 1870, Twyman lived with his large family in Baker City, OR. At this time, Twyman had six siblings, three sisters and three brothers. While living in Baker City, Milton was an editor, likely of a local newspaper. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Baker City, Baker, Oregon; Roll: M593_1285; Page: 24B, accessed 06/13/2023.)

The Abbotts resided in Boise, ID, by 1880. The household included only four people: Milton, Morris, Twyman and Mary Elizabeth. Milton again worked as a printer. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Boise City, Ada, Idaho; Roll: 173; Page: 10D; Enumeration District: 001, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Twyman Abbott lived and worked in Tacoma, WA, in 1889.

He relocated to New York, NY, in about 1903, where he worked as a lawyer on Wall Street. In 1923, his office was at 80 Broadway in New York City.

In 1923, Abbott lived at 1410 Grand Concourse, New York, NY. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 2216; Volume #: Roll 2216 - Certificates: 265350-265849, 07 Apr 1923-09 Apr 1923, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Abbott moved to Palo Alto, CA, by 1930, where he and his wife lived at 405 Kingsley Avenue, a Spanish Colonial-influenced ranch house on the corner of Kingsley Avenue and Waverley Street. According to the Census, this dwelling in the Professorville section of Palo Alto, had an approximate value of $20,000. At the time, the Abbotts employed a young man, Song Lee (born c. 1914 in China) as a servant. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Palo Alto, Santa Clara, California; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0022; FHL microfilm: 2339952, accessed 06/13/2023.) The Abbotts may have moved to Palo Alto as Frances's father lived in Santa Clara County after 1900. He died there in 1908.

He died in Santa Clara County, CA, on 01/28/1937 at the age of 73. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Parents

His father was Milton H. Abbott (born c. 1820 in Portsmouth, OH-d. 1887), worked as a printer and newspaper editor. He attended Shurtleff College, in Alton, IL, c. 1834. (See Shurtleff College Catalog, 1834, p. 12.) Milton also was on an 1963 list of men in the Illinois's 9th Congressional District, eligible for wartime service.(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War); Collection Name: Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); NAI: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 3 of 7, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Milton married at least twice. The US Census of 1850 located Milton and his first wife Mary Jane Newman (born c. 1821 in IL) living in Pittsfield, IL, where he was a printer. They had one child, Phimelia Abbott (born c. 1846 in Pittsfield, IL). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Pittsfield, Pike, Illinois; Roll: 124; Page: 133b, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Six years later, the Minnesota State Census of 1857, located Milton and Mary Jane living in Stillwater, MN, where Milton worked as a newspaper editor. At this time, the Abbotts had three children: Phimelia, Velma Abbott (born c. 1852 in IL) and Rui L. Abbott (born c. 1856 in IL). (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 06/13/2023.)

The 1860 US Census indicated that Milton had moved his family to Isanti, MN. He worked as a printer, and owned about $100 worth of real estate and had a personal estate of $2,000, a large sum for the time. He and his wife Mary had three children: Phimelia, Velma and Trephina (born c. 1859 in MN). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Isanti, Minnesota; Roll: M653_571; Page: 178; Family History Library Film: 803571, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Milton and Mary Jane's marriage was over by 1870, as he had another wife when the US Census was taken. Twyman's mother Louisa Abbott (born c. 1841 in TN), was 21 years younger than her husband. As per the 1870 US Census, children included: William O. Abbott (born c. 1858 in the Washington Territory), Trephina Abbott (born c. 1859 in MN), Morris D. Abbott (born c. 1861 in IL), Dora Abbott (born c. 1861 in IL), Walter Abbott (born c. 1862 in OR) Twyman Abbott and Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" Abbott (born c. 1865 in OR). The 1870 Census incorrectly recorded Twyman to have been "Truman" and had his place of birth as being in OR. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Baker City, Baker, Oregon; Roll: M593_1285; Page: 24B, accessed 06/13/2023.)

By 1880, Louisa remained living in Baker City, having divorced Milton. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Baker, Baker, Oregon; Roll: 1080; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 001, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Spouse

He wed Frances Cooper (born 12/13/1863 in Ironton, WI-d. 10/11/1939 in Santa Clara County, CA) on 01/30/1889. Twyman Abbott's US passport application of 1923 indicated that Frances was born on 12/13/1864 in Ironton. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 2216; Volume #: Roll 2216 - Certificates: 265350-265849, 07 Apr 1923-09 Apr 1923, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Frances's family moved from WI to Tumwater, WT, by at least 1868. They likely moved there sometime between 1863 and 1868. Her parents were Ellen M. Towt(born 1837 in NY-d/ 09/1875 in Tumwater, WA) and Samuel Newell Cooper (born 1833 in NY-d. 11/03/1908 in Santa Clara County, CA). She managed the household that, in 1870, consisted of two parents and three children, Frances being the middle child. Samuel worked as a flour manufacturer in Tumwater. The family owned $3,000 worth of land in Tumwater and had an estate of about $3,500 in 1870, making them better off than many of their neighbors. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Tumwater, Thurston, Washington Territory; Roll: M593_1683; Page: 245A, accessed 06/13/2023.)

Biographical Notes

At age 60, Abbott's US passport paperwork described him as Caucasian with a fair complexion. He had a high forehead, "Roman" nose, medium mouth, round chin, and oval face. He had hazel eyes and gray hair and stood 5-feet, 8-and-3/4-inches tall.

His US passport application of 04/06/1923, indicated that he had spent a month in Athens, Greece between 08/20/1916 and 09/20/1916.

In 1923, he and his wife intended to take a 6-8-month trip to Europe that would include sights in France and Italy (for "business and pleasure"), and Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, England, Spain and Egypt for pleasure only. He intended to leave for Europe aboard the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique's (CGT) S.S. La Savoie on 05/05/1923. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 2216; Volume #: Roll 2216 - Certificates: 265350-265849, 07 Apr 1923-09 Apr 1923, accessed 06/13/2023.) They returned aboard the Ellerman and Papayanni Liner, S.S. Assyria, from Glasgow, Scotland, to New York, NY, arriving in the latter on 09/18/1923. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1923; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 22; Page Number: 155 Source Information: New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 06/13/2023.)