From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 
 
Typed by Carol Taylor Lanza. 
 
Pages 835-836

JAMES McADAMS COLLINS, who is a dealer in paints, oils, glass, brushes, 
turpentine, enamels and stains, has a place of business at No. 1613 
Market Street, Wheeling, West Virginia, and was born in this city, 
February 15, 1878.  He is a son of Elvin W. and Alice Virginia 
(McAdams) Collins, both of whom were natives of Wheeling.  
   Elvin W. Collins was also engaged in the same business which his son 
carries on, and was in partnership with his father -in-law, James 
McAdams, for over twenty years.  He was born October 6, 1857, and died 
June 29, 1901; he was generally and favorably known in the city and 
country.  His wife was Alice Virginia McAdams, who was born in Wheeling 
in November, 1857, and was a daughter of James McAdams.  James McAdams 
was born in 1827, in Belfast, Ireland, and came to America in 1849.  He 
located in Wheeling, where he reared a family of 15 children, 11 of 
whom are deceased.  The living are Alice Virginia; Margaret Ellis 
(Giesey); Jane D. (McCrum); and Anna E. (Bennett).  It was James 
McAdams who first established the business which Mr. Collins now 
controls.  He is still living and has reached the age of seventy-four 
years.  Mr. Collins' father and mother were members of the First United 
Presbyterian Church. 
    Mr. Collins was the only child of his parent. He received his 
primary education in the public schools, and graduated in a class of 
33, 1895, carrying off second honors.  Some time later, he entered 
Washington and Jefferson College, at Washington, Pennsylvania.  He left 
the college in his junior year, and entered Cornell University in the 
fall of 1898.  He was again compelled to leave on account of sickness 
during the same year, and never completed his course.  He traveled in 
the South seven months for his health, and afterward succeeded to his 
present business on March 5, 1900.  
     Mr. Collins was married on August 30, 1901, to Nellie E. Schmidt, 
daughter of Charles C. and Minnie E. Schmidt, the former a native of 
Baltimore, Maryland, and the latter, of Wheeling, West Virginia.  Mrs. 
Collins is also a native of Wheeling, and she and Mr. Collins belong to 
the First United Presbyterian Church.  Mr. Collins takes very little 
interest in politics, although he votes the Republican ticket. 
     Fraternally, Mr. Collins is a member of Lodge No. 28, B. P. O. E., 
of Wheeling.  While attending college, he was member of Beta Theta Pi 
and Theta Nu Epsilon fraternities, and in his junior year was president 
of the former.  He is a stockholder in the Quarter Dollar Savings Bank, 
and also in the Neuralgyline Patent Medicine Company, of Wheeling.  
      Mr. Collins is one of the rising young business men of the city, 
is genial, popular, and scholarly, and very popular among his 
associates.  He does a splendid business and takes extensive contracts.