Place:Adams (town), Jefferson, New York, United States

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Adams is a town in Jefferson County, New York, USA. Named after President John Adams, the population was 5,143 at the 2010 census.

The Town of Adams also contains a village named Adams. Both village and town are centrally located in the county and are south of Watertown.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Settlement began around 1800 at Adams village. David Smith built a sawmill at the present site of Adams in 1801. Renamed for John Adams in 1802 (the year after his presidency ended), the Town of Adams was created from the survey townships of Aleppo and Orpheus. The eastern part of Adams was taken in 1804 to form the Town of Rodman. During the War of 1812, the town formed a local militia for home defense. In more recent times, the town has served as the home of the 46-unit chain restaurant Jreck Subs.

Residents of note

• William Eugene Blackstone, evangelical Christian and Zionist.
• Henry Keep, (1818–1869), born in Adams, noted financier and president of several railroad firms, he left an estate of over four million dollars.
• Nicholas Doxtater Yost, attorney and president of the Adams Farmer’s National Bank; relative of Hnery Keep and father of United Nations Ambassador Charles W. Yost.
• J. Sterling Morton, father of Arbor Day, was born in Adams village.
• Henry Benjamin Whipple, 1st Episcopal bishop of Minnesota
• Charles G. Finney, prominent evangelist
• Philander Smith, son of mill operator and original settler David Smith. Eponym of Philander Smith College and father-in-law of William Eugene Blackstone (above).

Research Tips

External Links

• Outstanding guide to Adams family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, town histories, cemeteries, churches, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.