The Shelton Gang: They Played in Peoria and They Played War in Bloody Williamson County
Bill Adams is a columnist for the Peoria Journal Star. He began writing a weekly column on local history and nostalgia regarding Peoria and Central Illinois in May 1998 titled "Yester Days", which ran every Monday until March 1994. In August 1995 he began his second weekly column titled "This Week in Peoria's Past" which still appears every Monday. He has also authored three books based on his original column titled, "Yester Days" -- Volumes I, II and III. Adams retired in 1985 as the president of Mid-America Television and LDX Broadcast, Inc. which were parent companies of WEEK-TV (NBC) Peoria and KRCG-TV (CBS) Jefferson City, Missouri. Before that he was vice president and general manager of WEEK-TV. He began with the station as promotion manager in September 1960. Before his career in television, Bill managed the Madison Theater, the major downtown theater of the Publix Great States THeaters chain. He started as an usher at age 16 and became manager in 1943, leaving in 1959 to join WEEK-TV the following year. For two years he served in the U.S. Navy reserve during World War II. Bill is a native Peorian and attended public grade schools and high school and married Florence Castle in 1944, who is also a native Peorian. They have three daughters, two sons, ten grandchildren, five step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.