Dale County AlArchives Biographies.....Adams, Joseph A. 1870 - living in 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 18, 2004, 1:52 pm Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) JOSEPH A. ADAMS, editor and proprietor of the Southern Star, was born in 1870 at Newton, Dale county, Ala. He is a son of Joseph A. and Annie L. (Kirksey) Adams. The former was a native of Georgia, born in Stewart county in 1843. He came with his parents to Opelika, Lee county, Ala., where in 1857 he began his career as printer and publisher, by entering the office of the Opelika Democrat, a weekly paper. He continued in this office, becoming master of the printer's art, until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in the Fifth Alabama infantry as a private soldier. His health becoming unsettled, he spent some time under the doctors' care but was on duty when his health would permit. In this way he went through the war, participating in several heavy battles and numerous skirmishes, serving the cause to the best of his ability. After the cessation of hostilities he located at Newton, Ala., and was engaged on the Newton Times, a well ordered little paper of Dale county, devoted to the "lost cause", and to the general welfare of southeastern Alabama, After a short time he purchased the Newton Times, assumed full control and began at once to build up the fallen interests of this part of the state. Subsequently he was elected to the office of clerk of the court, attending to his official duties at the same time that he edited his paper. The court house being destroyed by fire in 1869, the county seat was removed in 1870 to Ozark, and Mr. Adams removed his paper to that point, changing the name of the paper from the Newton Times to The Southern Star. He held the office of clerk of the courts twelve consecutive years and he was also elected to the office of mayor for a number of years. He was very energetic and public spirited and was well and favorably known in southeastern Alabama. He was an acknowledged factor in building up the position of the state after the ravages of the war. His death occurred February 4th, 1884, the result of a malady contracted in the service, and from which he never recovered The mother of Joseph A., Jr., was born at Cuthbert, Ga., in 1849. She was a daughter of W. H. and Sophia Kirksey. Her father was a manufacturer of leather and a tanner, a Georgian by birth, and moved to Alabama in 1866. He settled in Newton, there established his leather business, continuing there until his death. He was a Mason and a member of the Missionary Baptist church. Mrs. Kirksey was born in South Carolina and was the youngest of eight children. She was married in her twentieth year, and became the mother of ten children, five of whom now survive. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. She died in 1878 in the seventy-second year of her life. The mother of Joseph A. Adams grew to womanhood in Georgia, the state of her nativity. She was married at Newton in 1867, and is now the mother of seven children, six of whom are now living: William R. resides at home; Joseph A.; Jesse C., a railroad operator living at Union Springs, Ala.,; Laura B. deceased; Georgia E.; John Q. The mother of these children is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Mr. J. A. Adams was married October 11th, 1891, to Miss C. A. B. Edwards, daughter of Dr. David Edwards, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. She was born in Dale county in 1872. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Mr. Adams is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and since the death of his father, which occurred when he was fifteen years old, has been editor and manager of the Southern Star. Under his management the paper has grown in size and circulation, and is now the leading democratic paper in Dale counrty. The Star is published without fear of any one or favor to high or low, and is doing its utmost toward the up-building of southeastern Alabama. Personally Mr. Adams is cordial and genial in his manner, and has friends on every hand. His popularity is due to his frank open manner, to his general good humor, and to many other commendable traits of character. He is the father of a boy, born July 7th, 1892. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 802-803 Published by Brant & Fuller (1893) Madison, WI This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb