Clark-Montgomery County KyArchives Biographies.....ADAMS, Joseph January 17, 1833 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ky/kyfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: J. Robison normadeplume@wmconnect.com October 22, 2008, 9:45 pm Author: Unknown History of Christian County, Illinois 1880 JOSEPH ADAMS The gentleman, whose portrait heads this sketch, is one of the old settlers of Prairieton township, and a native of Kentucky. He has been living in Christian county since 1837. He is descended from a family of English origin, who settled in Virginia at an early date. His grandfather on his father's side emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky at an early period. His father, Ellington ADAMS, was born in Montgomery county, in the year 1804, was raised in the same part of the state, and died when he was at an early age. He married, in Montgomery county, Kentucky, Elizabeth GORDON, who was also a native of Montgomery county, Kentucky, in the year 1809. Her father's name was Randel GORDEN, who was a native of the state of Virginia, and moved to Kentucky in the year 1791, and settled in Montgomery county. When he made his home in Kentucky it was then wild and unsettled, and the pioneers experienced considerable difficulty with the Indians, who were yet numerous throughout the country. The settlers were only able to farm a little ground in the near neighborhood of a fort, and they were obliged to carry their guns with them when they did their plowing to guard against the Indian attacks. Mr. ADAMS' grandfather died on the same farm on which he settled on first moving to Kentucky. Mr. ADAMS' father lived in Kentucky until 1834, and then moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, and went to farming on Lick Creek, eleven miles south-west of Springfield. He lived in Sangamon county three years, and then came to Christian county and settled in a grove about a mile north of the timber in Prairieton township. The grove was known subsequently as "ADAMS Grove." He lived there until his death in February, 1876. Ellington ADAMS was a man who came to Illinois with but scanty means, and at the time of his death had accumulated a sufficient competence to thoroughly provide against all the wants of life. he owned seven hundred and ninety acres at the time of his death. He was a man of considerable industry and economy, and had been a good citizen of the county. His widow still resides on the old homestead. He had ten children, of whom four are now dead; six are living, all of whom reside in Christian county with the exception of one who lives over the line in Shelby. Joseph ADAMS was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, on Red River, January 17, 1833. He was one year old on the removal of the family to this state, and about four years of age when they came to Christian county. He has consequently been principally raised in this county, in the vicinity of where he now lives. The schools of that were of rather an inferior character, and the school he attended was three miles away and held in a little log house, with puncheon floors, and slabs for benches. With such advantages as these Mr. ADAMS managed to secure the foundation for a good education. He afterwards attended school one year in Mr. Sterling, Montgomery county, Kentucky. During Mr. ADAMS' younger days railroads, of course were not in existence, and St. Louis was their only market, and, when eleven years old, Mr. ADAMS was pressed into service to assist in driving the hogs to St. Louis; and this was kept up every year until the building of the Illinois Central Railroad in 1854. It required from seven to twenty days to drive the hogs to St. Louis, and on their return trip they brought back a full stock of groceries and store goods for use until the next trip. Mr. ADAMS lived at home until his marriage, which occurred June 9th, 1856, to Nancy WIDICK, who was born in Macon county, near the Christian county line, and daughter of Samuel WIDICK, who was from Pennsylvania, and settled in Macon county at an early date. He had been a soldier in the war of 1812, and served in the North-western campaign against the Indians. On the breaking out of the war of the rebellion he insisted on going into the army, although he was then a very old man. He enlisted in Company G, 41st Regiment Illinois Volunteers, and served for two years, enduring the hardships of a soldier's life with comparative ease. After two years' service he was taken sick, and died in the hospital at St. Louis in 1864. In 1856 Mr. ADAMS moved on the tract of land which now comprises his present farm in the south-eastern part of Prairieton township. He has been farming there from that time to the present, and has been engaged to a considerable extent in feeding stock, and in former years in raising fine hogs. He is the owner of thirteen hundred and sixty acres of land. Mr. ADAMS is man of considerable energy and business capacity, and one who has made his own way through life principally by his own efforts. He has had twelve children, eight of whom are living: George W., John Wheeler, Florence, Ira, Jesse, Eva, Elizabeth, Anna May. Three children died in infancy, and a daughter, who married John MYERS, died at the age of twenty-two. In his politics Mr. ADAMS has always been a member of the democratic party, to whose principles he has closely adhered. His first vote for president was cast for Douglas in 1860. He has been engaged in business largely, and his time has been so taken up that he has had no opportunity to take any active part in politics. He was elected a member of the board of supervisors for Prairieton township in 1867, and served four years. He was elected again in 1876, and has filled that position to the present time. On another page we give an elegant view of his farm and residence. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/clark/bios/adams485gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/kyfiles/