Abram B. Steele

Abram Books Steele (January 10, 1845 – March 28, 1913) was an American lawyer and politician from Herkimer, New York.

Life Steele was born on January 10, 1845, in Columbus, Ohio, the son of farmer George C. Steele and Rebecca Fisher. His parents lived in Rochelle, Illinois, but they were visiting Columbus when he was born.

Steele attended the local common schools, took a course at the Seminary at Rochelle, and finished a two-year course at Wheaton College in 1866. Interested in becoming a lawyer, he worked as a teacher in Rochelle for nine months to pay for his legal studies. He then worked as principal of the school in Ashton for a few months. In April 1867, he went to the law office of his cousin Josiah A. Steele in Frankfort, New York. He was admitted to the bar in April 1868 and formed a partnership with his cousin known as J. A. and A. B. Steele. He practiced with the firm for a year, after which he went to Lincoln, Nebraska to see how promising the legal prospects were. He was quickly admitted to the bar and formed a copartnership with Nebraska Attorney General Seth Robinson, but after three months there he concluded there were too many lawyers in Lincoln and returned to his law practice with his cousin Josiah in Frankfurt. In February 1870, he moved to Herkimer while Josiah stayed in Frankfort. Josiah also moved to Herkimer in 1874, and the law firm continued until it was dissolved in 1880. He practiced alone until 1882, He was a member of the Herkimer Board of Education for at least a decade. In 1903, he was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Republican, representing Herkimer County. He served in the Assembly in 1904, 1905, and 1906. He became a charter member of the Fort Dayton Hose Company, and when the company was disbanded in 1893 he became an exempt fireman. He was also chairman of the law committee of the State Firemen's Association and a trustee of the Firemen's Home in Hudson. Rev. E. Scott Farley officiated his funeral at the Baptist Church. The funeral was attended by the local Freemasons, the Herkimer County Bar Association, the Fort Dayton Hose Company, the Down and Out Club, and the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. The honorary pallbearers were trustees of the Baptist Church, and the active pallbearers were members of the Little Falls Commandery. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.