Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 4. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 707.
 
J. FRANK ADAMS

     is owner of the Poplar farm, situated near Merrill in Klamath county. No
resident in all this district has taken a more active or helpful part in
promoting its progress and upbuilding. He was one of the pioneer ranchmen here,
is well known for his ability in breaking wild horses, has been engaged in
banking and irrigation projects and withal is a courteous, genial gentleman. He
at all times commands the respect and good-will of those who know him. He was
born in Eldorado county, California, March 3, 1855, and is a son of George and
Sarah Ellen (Hogue) Adams, both of whom were born and reared in Peoria,
Illinois. Following their marriage in that city they crossed the plains to
Eldorado county, California, in 1852 and afterward removed to San Francisco. Mr.
Adams went to the scene of the Fraser excitement and traveled all through
southern California, rambled around much in that state and finally took up his
abode in Sacramento in 1868. There he died about forty years ago and his wife
later passed away in the same city. He engaged in farming, teaming and general
trading and was well known among early settlers of that state. After losing her
first husband Mrs. Adams became the wife of L. R. Harris, who now makes his home
with his stepson, J. Frank Adams, at the age of eighty-three years. His wife,
the mother of our subject, passed away about thirteen years ago. By her first
marriage she had three sons, of whom the subject of this review is the eldest.
The second son, Joseph Henry, died in Chico, California, and William Walter
Sherman is now postmaster and a merchant at Malin, Klamath county.
     J. Frank Adams resided with his parents in California until 1872. He spent
most of his time as a cowboy. In that year he left with stock to go into the
mountains.  Sacramento valley was fast becoming settled by permanent residents,
making it impossible to find grazing land there. He made his way to southern
Oregon and rode after stock in Siskiyou county, California, and Klamath county,
Oregon, until 1879.  He then took up his abode in Klamath valley, where he
engaged in handling stock on shares, running stock in that way until twenty
years ago, since which time he has carried on business independently. The
raising and care of stock has practically been his life work.  About 1881 he
began securing government land, taking up every kind of claim possible,
including preemption, homestead and timber. He secured desert claims, school
lands and state lands and added to his possessions until he had twenty-six
hundred and nineteen acres when he entered into an irrigation project under the
name of the Little Klamath Ditch Company. This he incorporated in 1885. His plan
was to include all farmers and each acre was to represent a share in the
company, which was originally incorporated for five thousand acres, and five
thousand shares at two dollars per share. Farmers of the community joined Mr.
Adams in this project, which he later extended in its scope, reclaiming ten
thousand acres. He became president and manager of the Little Klamath Ditch
Company and, as time went on, he bought in other lands and had extensive
interests in the company but sold out to the United States government in 1907,
when they instituted their five million dollar project for the reclamation of
arid lands in this district. He met with difficulties leading to reverses in his
irrigation projects, yet the work which he accomplished is of inestimable value
to the district. His financial backers in the stock business withdrew their
support when he turned his attention to irrigation, which they regarded as
unpractical, but with remarkable foresight he realized the value of such an
undertaking and time has proven his wisdom. In the cut through from White lake
to Little Klamath lake, for two and three quarters miles the ditch being
twenty-two feet wide and twenty inches deep, it was necessary to cut through the
marsh with a hay knife. Mr. Adams laid off the right-of-way and made the two
outside cuts on the eleven feet. With his own hands he did the work on the
outside cuts, totaling eleven miles, and he employed from ten to twenty-two men
in cutting the center and throwing out the dirt. This was the most strenuous
part of his irrigation project and led to his securing a dredge. For the past
seven or eight years he has operated the Marion Steam Shovel Dredge, the first
work with which was done in building the canal for the Little Klamath Ditch
Company. He made several of the first landings for steamboats and be began
building the first mile and a quarter of the railroad out of Klamath Falls,
throwing up the grade for the company. This was his first dredge work. He then
moved the dredge to Upper Klamath lake and made a ditch of seventeen miles for
Abner Weed, the average depth being four and a half feet and the width
thirty-five feet. This work required about three years. On the 28th of April,
1912, his dredging machine was destroyed by fire but he is now rebuilding an
outfit worth about fifteen thousand dollars. There are twenty-two thousand acres
in the Abner Weed tract and the work to the present time has been more than half
completed. Mr. Adams has been the most active factor in the development of
Klamath county, especially in the Tule Lake district.
     Thirty-three years ago he began the development of his ranch at Adams
Point, two miles east of his present location on Tule lake. When he took up his
abode on his present place, twenty-four years ago, it was a desert claim,
covered with sage brush, which he grubbed up through his own labor. He has
erected thereon a beautiful modern residence about two and three-fourths miles
east of Merrill and has set out a grove of English poplars. This land is now all
under ditch and constitutes one of the valuable ranch properties of the
district. There are good improvements upon his place. He makes a specialty of
handling horses and cattle, having from four to five hundred head of horses and
about the same number of cattle. Few men know how to handle as well as he does
wild horses and break them in for farm work or driving. He was actively
interested in the first annual Rodeo held at Klamath Falls on the 31st of May
and the 1st and 2d of June, 1912, for which purpose he furnished fifty of the
eighty head of horses used. He attended to the corralling and catching of the
horses for the riders and he today catches and breaks a wild horse with the same
ease which he did in earlier manhood. He started out in life as a cowboy,
empty-handed, and he is today one of the prosperous residents of southern
Oregon, yet at all times has been liberal with his means. His beautiful home is
the abode of a warmhearted hospitality and its doors are ever open for the
reception of friend or stranger alike. He kept open house for many years when
there was no hotel in this district and any guest at his home at the present
time is most heartily received and royally entertained. In addition to all of
his other business projects Mr. Adams assisted in organizing the First National
Bank of Merrill and acted as its president for six months but he did not desire
to continue in the office and at the present time is serving as a director.
     Mr. Adams has been married twice. On the 3d of May, 1888, he wedded Miss
Fannie E. Steele, who was born in Nevada, in 1865, and was reared in Reno, a
daughter of William Steele, who was one of the pioneers in the reclamation of
this country through irrigation. It was through his work in that connection that
Mr. Adams met him and ultimately became a member of his family through his
marriage to his daughter. In 1900 Mr. Adams was called upon to mourn the loss of
his wife, who died on the 8th of May of that year, leaving three sons: William
Walter, who is married and resides on his father's timber culture claim near
Merrill; and J. Frank and Robert Steele, both at home. On the 11th of August,
1902, Mr. Adams wedded Miss Martha Cardwell, who was born in Jackson county,
Oregon, March 7, 1866. She had formerly been a school teacher and was a friend
of the first Mrs. Adams, making her home with them for some time. There is one
child of this marriage, John Martin.
     Mr. Adams was reared a democrat but takes only a citizen's interest in
politics. He holds membership with various fraternal organizations, including
the Odd Fellows, the Elks, the Workmen and the Hoo Hoos. He has a wide
acquaintance with men of state and national reputation, has led an exemplary
life, is a gentleman in every respect and commands the highest regard and
confidence of all who know him. He never uses liquor or tobacco and has ever
endeavored to follow the golden rule, doing unto others as he would have them do
unto him. All acknowledge his worth as a man and citizen. What he has done for
his section of the state cannot be overestimated. He was instrumental in
bringing a Bohemian colony of about eighty families to this district and located
for them a town site, called Malin, giving the land for that purpose. He has
disposed of about three sections of land to these settlers, requiring a small
payment down and allowing them long time to make their payments. He shows that
he has confidence in their integrity and willingness to meet their indebtedness
and his confidence in few cases has been betrayed. As the years go on the worth
of his work will be more and more highly appreciated. He certainly deserves all
the success that has been his and the honor and, regard which are freely
accorded him.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.