Adams, William T.

William T. Adams

1842 – Nov. 9, 1908

One of oldest Odd Fellows in this part of State, and prominent builder. Death comes very suddenly.

William T. Adams. stricken down without warning at early hour this morning

      This morning at 5 o’clock, Wm. T. Adams died suddenly of heart failure at his home on North Seventh Street. He had never complained of being afflicted with the disease and was apparently in good health when he arose this morning. Yesterday he attended church and was seemingly as well as ever hence his demise came as a great shock to his family and friends.

      Mr. Adams is survived by a widow and two children. Harry of Brandon, Manitoba, and Miss Bessie of Niles. He leaves a brother, John Adams of Edwardsburg and a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Kittle of Kalamazoo.

      The funeral arrangements will not be made until Harry Adams is heard from the sad news of his father’s death having been wired to his this morning

Sketch of his life

      He was born in Harris Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana in 1942, his parents being James and Sereptine (Lynch) Adams. The father was born in Delaware, and in 1832 came to the Middle West, setting in Chicago. He walked the entire distance and when he reached the St. Joseph River, he was assisted across the stream by the Indians. On arriving at his destination he found a small village upon a wet prairie. It was five years later before the city was incorporated. He at one engaged in carpenter work there, and built the first jail in Chicago, the structure being made of logs. In the fall of the same year he returned to Delaware, for he had become convinced that the western county had good future prospects, and he not only brought with him his own family but also his father and mother. They settled in Cass County where with his brother, James Adams, he purchased eighty acres of land from the government, on which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made. He lived a strenuous life, working earnestly and indefatigably to reclaim the land for the purposes of civilization and he added to his holding from time to time. He paid for his first 80 acres only one dollar per acre, and for the next purchase he paid six dollars per acre. He successfully continued in farming up to the time of his death.

     William T. Adams was reared in the state of his nativity, and in early life learned the carpenter’s trade at McLean, Illinois, where he served a three year apprenticeship. He afterwards worked as a journeyman, and in 1870 he came to Niles, where for four years he continued in the employ of others in the line of his chosen occupation. He then began business on his own account as a contractor and builder, and for almost a third of a century and been identified with building operations in Niles, having been accorded a liberal share of work in this direction. He had erected many residences and other buildings and had a reputation for doing honest and capable work.

     Mr. Adams was married in this city in 1873 to Miss Georgiana Webb, and unto them were born two children, Harry and Bessie, both born in Niles. In his political views Mr. Adams was a democrat, and at one time was a member of the city council from the second ward, filling the office about 12 years ago. He was also for 10 years a member of the board of public works at Niles, and for one year was president of the board.  He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows having joined the organization more than 43 years ago at Edwardsburg and was one of the oldest Odd Fellows in this part of the state.