From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 743 - 746
 
HUGH ABRAM BURDICK.  Only those who come into personal contact with Hugh Abram 
BURDICK, of Lake Geneva, scion of one of the worthy old families of Walworth 
county, and one of the popular and successful attorneys of this section of the 
Badger state, can understand how thoroughly nature and training, habits of 
thought and action have enabled him to accomplish his life work and made him a 
fit representative of the enterprising class of professional people to which 
he belongs.  He is a fine type of the sturdy, conscientious, progressive 
American of today - a man who unites a high order of ability with courage, 
patriotism, clean morality and sound common sense, doing thoroughly and well 
the work that he finds to do and asking praise of no man for the performance 
of what he conceives to be his simple duty.
 
Mr. BURDICK was born in Linn townships, this county, on March 4, 1864, and is 
the son of Charles Herbert BURDICK and Lamina Maria (BAILEY) BURDICK.  The 
father was born at West Edmiston, near the line between Otsego and Madison 
counties, New York, and when four years of age he came to Walworth county, 
Wisconsin, with his parents, Solomon Champlin BURDICK and Martha M. (CRANDALL) 
BURDICK.  Solomon C. BURDICK was born near Westerly, Rhode Island.  His 
ancestors had emigrated to that state about 1750 from England.  Solomon was 
the son of Joseph BURDICK.  Joseph and his brothers moved to the state of New 
York and located in different sections of the same.
 
The BURDICKs came from the East by way of the Great Lakes to Southport (now 
Kenosha), thence to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, only three years after the village 
had been platted.  They purchased a farm in the northwestern part of section 
29, Linn township, and there established a good home which they occupied for 
many years.  Solomon BURDICK was a cabinet-maker by trade and he left much of 
the farming to his sons in order to follow his trade.  His death occurred 
about June 29, 1890, at the age of seventy-nine years, leaving three daughters 
and three sons, namely: Asbury Russell, Charles Herbert, Byron Henry; Mary, 
who married first Clark BURDICK and afterward Morris MILLARD; Ordelia, who 
married James SMITH, now lives in Lake Geneva; Elicia Delphine, who first 
married George WILLIAMS, then Jacob WAHL.
 
Charles H. BURDICK grew up on the home farm.  He was married on June 4, 1861, 
to Almina Maria BAILEY, daughter of Kiah and Emily (WARD) BAILEY.  She was 
born in Hardwick, Vermont, and she accompanied her parents to Walworth county, 
Wisconsin, about 1844.  They located in section 1, Walworth township, near 
Williams Bay and the Observatory, and there made their permanent home.  The 
BAILEY ancestry is traced back to Richard BAILEY, who came from England in 
1636 and settled in Massachusetts and built the first cloth mill in America.
 
Charles H. BURDICK enlisted on June 8, 1863, in Company F, Fourth Wisconsin 
Volunteer Cavalry, as a recruit.  His brother Russell served in this company 
from April 1861, to after the close of the war.  The former saw considerable 
active service in raids and campaigns.  He was honorably discharged and 
returned home in 1865, and he made his home for seven years at Walworth, 
alternating cabinet-making and farming.  He came to Lake Geneva in 1874 and 
assisted his father in a cabinet shop until failing health undermined his 
strength and he gave it up.  He then turned his attention to newspaper work 
and, in partnership with J. N. BURTON, established the Lake Geneva News.  It 
was printed at Elgin and for several months there and it as a daily; in the 
fall it was changed to a weekly and was printed in Lake Geneva.  Mr. BURDICK 
was also local correspondent for a number of large dailies and for a time he 
was local editor of the Elkhorn Independent.  He gave up corresponding for the 
press about 1894 and spent a year in Utah for his health, and subsequently 
engaged in the real estate and insurance business, which he continued 
successfully up to the time of his death, February 21, 1903.  Politically, he 
was a Republican, and was city clerk for two terms.
 
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. BURDICK, namely: Wendell 
Herbert died when thirteen years old; Hugh Abram, of this sketch; Emma Dell 
Elizabeth married Charles F. HILL, principal of the East Side school in 
Whitewater and is teaching manual training; Martha Arloine married Joseph J. 
BRANSBY, superintendent of manual training in the New Trear school at 
Kenilworth, near Chicago; Ralph Hazen is an osteopath physician at Tonopah, 
Nevada; Paul Champlin lives in Ogden, Utah, where he is employed as inspector 
of the Telluride power plant; Aletha died in infancy.
 
The first ten years of the life of Hugh A. BURDICK were spent on the farms of 
his grandfathers in Linn and Walworth townships.  He also spent a year in 
Utah, but the rest of his life has been spent in Lake Geneva, in which city he 
attended high school, from which he was graduated.  Then he entered the law 
office of John B. SIMMONS, and he also did a great deal of studying at home, 
in fact, he is a student by nature and has continued to apply himself 
assiduously to books, especially such as apply to his profession.  He was 
admitted to practice law on June 4, 1889, but he did not begin active practice 
at once, having traveled for about two years in the employ of the Edward 
Thompson Publishing Company, publishers of law books.  He then took up the 
practice of his profession in the city of Lake Geneva, and here he has since 
remained, having built up a large and lucrative practice and taking a high 
rank among the best attorneys of this section of the State.  He has kept well 
abreast of the time in all that pertains to his profession and has a 
reputation for being an earnest, accurate, painstaking and trustworthy 
advocate and counselor, and in the trial of cases he is alert, cautious and a 
strong pleader.  In December 1896, he was admitted to practice in the supreme 
court of Utah, during the year which he and his father spent there.  Since 
returning from Utah he has practiced in Lake Geneva continuously.
 
Politically, Mr.. BURDICK is a Republican and he has long been an influential 
factor in local party affairs.  He served one term as justice of the peace and 
his re-election was urged, but he resigned to become district attorney, which 
office he held for four years.  He was alderman for seven years in the city of 
Lake Geneva; for three years he was a member of the school board and he is at 
present a member of the water commission of Lake Geneva.  As a public servant 
he has discharged his duties in a most faithful and able manner, winning the 
confidence and hearty approval of all concerned, irrespective of party 
alignment, but of recent years his increased professional duties have  
rendered it impossible for him to devote much time to public affairs.  In 1909 
he was appointed public administrator by Judge LYON, and he has been quite 
efficient in collecting back taxes.
 
Fraternally, Mr. BURDICK is a member of the Modern Woodmen.
 
On June 4, 1896, occurred the marriage of Mr. BURDICK and Grace Elizabeth 
DOWNING, daughter of John and Nancy Emily (LEWIS) DOWNING.  Her mother's 
ancestry can be traced back through their residence in Indiana and to 
Carolina.  She was born in Rockford, Illinois, where her grandfather Lewis 
settled in 1838 when the country was new.  Three children have been born to 
Mr. and Mrs. BURDICK, namely: Glydewell Bailey, Hugh Lewis and Almina Emily.
 
Mr. and Mrs. BURDICK belong to the Congregational church.  They have a 
pleasant home which is a favorite gathering place for their many friends.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)