My Genealogy Hound

Judge J. D. Adams. Prominent among the enterprising citizens of the county, and among those deserving special recognition for their long residence in the State, stands the name of the above-mentioned gentleman, who was born in Mercer County, Ky., in 1812, and was the third in a family of thirteen children born to David and Margaret (Dickson) Adams. His paternal grandparents, Samuel (wife not remembered) Adams, were natives of Virginia, and came to Kentucky at an early period. His maternal grandparents, Josiah and Isabella (Reed) Dickson, were natives of Scotland, and came to America prior to the Revolutionary War. The parents of our subject were natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. The father was born in 1779, and in 1805 married Miss Dickson, who was born in 1785. He died at the age of eighty-three years, and she at the age of ninety-one. He was a farmer, and remained in Kentucky until 1819, when he immigrated to Missouri, settling in Cooper County, and there he died in 1862. His wife died in 1876, in Yolo County, Cal., at the age of ninety-one. In their family were thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, all of whom lived until grown, and without a doctor ever having been called in: Nancy L. McCarty, who had three sons and four daughters, died in California in 1886; Samuel Clark, died in California in 1864; Josiah D. (subject), Thomas H., who was killed in 1848 by the running away of a team, leaving a wife and two sons, Clark and Thomas H.; Mary Ann Stephens, who died in 1888, and left eight children, all living and married except Jane Alison (deceased) and James M. (single); William D., who resides in Cooper County, on the old homestead, has two sons (Arthur and William) and one daughter; his wife is a daughter of Dr. Tompkins; Margaret Tucker, who died in 1844, leaving four children, three living and two married; John D., who resided in Cooper County until 1844, and then came to Moniteau County; he was in the Mexican War, served under Col. Doniphan, and after that eventful period went to the State of California (1849), and was there drowned in 1853; Martha A. Simpson resides in Monroe County, Mo., and is the mother of five sons; Emaline Bradley died in 1845, and left three children; David Quincy resides in California, married Miss Betty Woods, and is the father of three children; Amanda Allison resides in Cooper County, Mo., and has four sons and two daughters; Maria M. Myers, who resides in Boonville and has two sons. The father of the subject of this sketch was in the battle of Tippecanoe under Gen. Harrison. J. D. Adams was reared to agricultural pursuits, and remained on the farm until twenty-one years of age, when he engaged in the mercantile business (1836) in Cole County, in what is now Walker Township, Moniteau County, for two years. On the 10th of October, in 1838, he was married in Cooper County to Miss Amanda M. Tucker, a native of Washington County, Mo., and the daughter of Benjamin and Jane (Givens) Tucker, natives of Kentucky, and early settlers of Washington County, Mo. They remained in that county until 1834, and then moved to Cooper County, and there the father died in 1837. The mother died in 1865. After his marriage Mr. Adams moved to his present farm, which consists of 200 acres of partly bottom land; also purchased a mill on Moniteau Creek, and followed farming and milling for about eighteen years. During this period he drove horses and mules annually to the State of Louisiana for the market. In 1850 he was elected judge of the county court, and served eight years. In 1852 he sent 100 head of cattle to the State of California. Mr. Adams assisted in organizing the county of Moniteau, and claims the honor of naming that county, and presided over the first railroad meeting held in the same. He has taken quite an active part in politics, and votes with the Democratic party. He left the farm in 1855, went to California, the county seat of Moniteau County, and carried on the dry goods business from 1855 to 1859, after which he engaged in the drug business from 1859 to 1865. After this he embarked in the grain and commission business, erected the first elevator, ran it, and in connection carried on his drug business. He also at one time owned one-half interest in the City Livery Stable, erected a hotel, which was called the Adams House, and was connected with different interests for twenty-seven years. He was the originator of the California National Bank in 1874, was elected the first president, and served one term. It was through the influence of Mr. Adams that the first flouring-mill at California was started, and he was also instrumental in organizing the County Fair, being the first president of the same. He was engaged in the lumber business during the war. He founded, edited and published the Moniteau County Democrat, in 1870 and 1871, now known as the California Democrat. This was after the war, when the Democrats were mostly disfranchised, and needed a mouth-piece to assist in putting them on foot again. He, in connection with Col. W. G. Howard, furnished the means to erect the first college in the city of California. Mr. Adams lost his excellent wife March 18, 1880. She was fifty-eight years of age, and a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. After her death he returned to the farm, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. They were the parents of nine children, eight now living: Mrs. Susan Isabella Thompson, resides in Saline County, Mo., and is the mother of five children; Mrs. Margaret Atkins, resides in New York City, and is the mother of one son; Mrs. Mary E. Robison, residing in Washington Territory, is the mother of two sons; J. Taylor, who resides in California; Mrs. Emma Cooper, who resides in California, Mo., has six children; John Q., married to Miss Nellie Alexander, and resides on the old homestead, and has one daughter, Laura; Charles W., resides in Saline County; Alice, resides in California, Mo., and Lelia, died in 1871. Mr. Adams has seen many changes in the country, and has aided materially in all laudable enterprises for its good. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and his family belong to different churches.