An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 293

JOSHUA T. ADKISSON has shown what a man can do in Wasco county, by taking hold
with his hands and attending strictly to business. He came here with only ten
dollars and five horses, having a wife and five children to support. He
immediately rented land of J.A. Gulliford, who is mentioned in this work, and
commenced the good work of carving out for himself a home and a fortune. The
place which he first rented, he still rents, which shows his continuity. During
the intervening years, he has purchased two farms, one of four hundred and
fifty-three acres, which lies about one mile southeast from Boyd, and is the
family home, and another of two hundred and twenty-three acres. This shows that
Mr. Adkisson has achieved the best of success in his labors. He raises about
three hundred acres of wheat annually, and has bred and handled a great many
horses. Recently he has commenced raising mules and he finds a ready sale for
all his animals in this county, especially, as he raises the choicest that are
to be found here. After a review of these facts, it is needless to say that Mr.
Adkisson is a man of enterprise, energy, wisdom, and industry. He has shown it
well in the successes he has achieved.      

Joshua T. Adkisson was born in Franklin county, Virginia, on May 10, 1861, when
the dark clouds of the Rebellion were settling in their horror on the land. His
father, Thomas Adkisson, was a native of the same place, as were also his
parents, the grandparents of our subject. The great-grandfather of our subject
was one of the earliest pioneers in the Virginia wilds and his descendants were
large planters there. They lived and died in the old Virginia colony. The mother
of Joshua T. was Cynthia E. (Richardson) Adkisson. She was also born in Virginia
and her parents and grandparents were natives of that colony. The original
Richardson family was prominent in colonial affairs and fought in the early wars
including the Revolution and that of 1812. Our subject's father fought in the
Confederate army, and died during the war. His mother died in Davies county,
Missouri, in 1896. She married Mr. Faulkner when our subject was twenty-one.
Joshua was reared and educated principally in Davies county, Missouri. Owing to
poor health, he came to Oregon in 1882 and located a claim in Washington county,
Oregon, where he spent twelve years in trying to clear land, which was heavily
timbered. He had thirty-five acres clear in that time and finally closing out he
got to The Dalles on the boat with five head of horses and the ten dollars
mentioned. Since then, he has done well, as we have outlined above.      In
Davies county, Missouri, on August 16, 1882, Mr. Adkisson married Martha J.
Snyder, the daughter of Samuel C. Snyder, a native of Indiana and of German
ancestry. He married Miss Nancy Stevens. Mr. Adkisson has two brothers, Reuben
and Eli, and one sister, Mrs. Mary A. Wise. His wife has the following named
sisters: Mrs. Frances Richardson. Mrs. Adeline Joy, Mrs. Alice Elliott, Mrs.
Ella Homer, Mrs. Belle Bauer, and Mrs. Susan Coarth. Seven children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Adkisson; Willard E. Elwood, Raymond, Alva, Flossie A., the
wife of Gus Underhill, living near our subject: Elsie and Agnes, at home. Mr.
Adkisson is a member of the W.W., and is a strong Republican. For twenty years
he has been a school director and is zealous in labors for educational
advancement. He and his wife belong to the United Brethren church and are
liberal supporters of the faith.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.