"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a
brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western
Historical Pub. Co., 1902.  Page 301.  Baker County.

WILLIAM D. ADAMS

     A veteran of the Civil war, a respected pioneer of Baker county, and an
energetic, forceful and highly respected citizen, the man whose name gives
caption to this review is certainly deserving of mention in this part of our
volume, and it affords us pleasure to grant him representation here.
     Our subject was born in Natchez, Mississippi, on June 6, 1823.  His father
died when he was an infant and his mother with her children later removed to
Kentucky, where he received his education in the public schools.  When the time
came for him to initiate independent action he engaged in the business his
parents had previously followed, namely, farming.  When the war broke out he
enlisted in the Missouri home guards (he had moved to that state in 1855), and
he continued to contribute his part toward the cause of the Union until the last
disloyal gun had been silenced.  He then took up farming again, following that
branch of human activity there until 1881, when he and his family came out to
Baker county, Oregon.  They purchased a place near Wingville, five miles west of
Baker City, and upon this our subject resided, engaged in farming and stock
raising, until death claimed him for its victim, on February 14, 1901.  He was
one of the most thrifty and successful farmers of the county and had accumulated
quite a large amount of valuable real estate.  He was also quite active in the
political affairs of the county and state, though he appears to have had little
ambition for personal preferment.
     Fraternally Mr. Adams was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, an order
in which he had taken great interest for a period of forty years.  His marriage
was solemnized in Trenton, Missouri, on April 16, 1857, when Miss Barbara A.,
daughter of Amos and Hulda Bailsey, natives of Pennsylvania, became his wife,
and they had twelve children, seven of whom are still living, namely:
Elizabeth, wife of James Worley, of Sumpter valley, this county; Clarissa, wife
of Frank Gardner, of Baker county; Amos O. L. and S. L. Dow, twins; George W.;
Sydney L. and Thomas B.  The family are members of the Christian church.  Mrs.
Adams resides in a fine home at 2130 First street, and is the owner of three
farms, containing about nine hundred acres in all.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2005 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.