Adams, Missouri

James Lewis came in an early day and at present lives about six miles northeast of Independence; Harmon Gregg lived about four miles northeast of Independence; Daniel P. Lewis removed to the Piatt Purchase and was judge of the County Court there ; John Betcher lived four miles northeast of Independence ; William Baxter and Thomas Staylon with their families live northest of Independence; Aaron Overton died in Texas several years ago; Daniel Monroe lived on the bluff overlooking the river three miles north of Independence ; Gan Johnson lived on a farm three miles south of Independence, he died many years ago; Williamson Hawkins lived six miles south of Independence, he was murdered about the year 1838, and the murderer was hanged at the county seat; John Davis lived southeast of Independence, he was once County Judge in an early day ; Gabriel Fitzhugh was a Baptist preacher and lived two miles west of Independence ; Col. Thomas Pitcher was prominent in the Mormon trouble ; the Nolans and Pitchers were Kentuckians; Samuel C. Owens was a prominent merchant in Independence ; John O. Agnew was of Irish descent and a prominent merchant in Independence; the Flournoy's were prominent men in the town and county ; Robert Rickman came from Tennessee and lived a highly respected citizen, he died at Independence in 1880; John Smith was a justice of the peace ; Adam Hill settled two miles west of Independence where he still resides ; Joseph H. Reynolds was from Lincoln county, Kentucky, and came to Independence in 1834, where he still resides; Maj. E. A. Hickman was from Kentucky, and has for many years been one of the prominent citizens of Jackson county ; George Dickerson, Stephen Adams, and Jabez Smith came from Virginia and brought with him about 450 slaves ; Thomas H. Wilson, Moses G. Wilson, John F. McCauley is now living in San Francisco, Robert Gwin came from Tennessee, as did William McCormick and Dr. Armstrong.

Passage source: The History of Jackson County, Missouri, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Jackson County in the Late War... History of Missouri, Map of Jackson County .., published 1881.

This church was organized either in 1826 or 1827, the records of the church up to 1843 have been lost. The following facts were given by Bro. Stephen Adams, who united with the church in the year 1828, and is now the only living member who belonged to the organization at that time. Pastors having served the church since the organization : Thomas Stayton, John Jackson, James Savage and William Ously. In 1843 the church record gives the names of pastors in the following order : Joab Powell, Lewis Franklin, Rev. Saunders, William White, Henry Farmer, Edward Wood, T. N. O'Brien, G. L. Black, Thomas Montgomery, J. L. Hampton, J. J. Robinson, E. H. Foster and H. B. Turner. The present pastor is John W. Sage. Book A of the church records commences with the organization in 1826-7, and continues to August, 1843, under the name of the "Salem Church." Book B commences with August, 1843, and ends with May, 1868. The names of the members of the church in 1845 were as follows: Absalom Powell, Elizabeth Powell, Rebecca Powell, Stephen Adams, Mary Adams, Nelson Adams, Anna Adams, William Rice, Sarah Belcher, Thos. J. Belcher, Martha Powell, Elizabeth Williamson, C. C. Rice, Jane Rice, Johnson Lacy and Sarah Lacy.

Passage source: The History of Jackson County, Missouri, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Jackson County in the Late War... History of Missouri, Map of Jackson County .., published 1881.

" The first houses built west of the Little Blue were on a farm now owned by Messrs. Pugsley and Staples, three miles east of Independence. These two cabins were built by Andrew Wilson and Henry Burris. Wilson also built the first mill in the county. The earliest settlers were Andrew Wilson, Henry Burris, Jacob Gregg, Osborn, Stayton, Swearingen, Adams, Jeffreys, Chiles and others. As the city of Independence began to build up, there were many others, and I give some of their names : S. D. Lucas, S. C. Owens, the Westons, the Nolands and the Flournoys.

Passage source: The History of Jackson County, Missouri, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Jackson County in the Late War... History of Missouri, Map of Jackson County .., published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Blue Township.