James Adams and Susan Martin Adams were married 14 December 1832 in Halifax County, Virginia. They moved to Weakley County with Susan's mother and father, Thomas and Drucilla Vawter Martin in 1837. The Adams' lived on a large farm in the Ralston/Public Well Church area. They had twelve children. All but one child lived to maturity in Weakley County.

Susan Martin Adams was a founding member of Public Well Church. A dress that belonged to her located at University of Tennessee Martin, Paul Meek Library, Special Collections. The dress was donated by Susan's great granddaughter, Barbara Dohme, the granddaughter of James Martin Adams one of the sons of James and Susan Martin Adams. Other Adams children: Thomas Martin Adams, married Martha Somers, the daughter of George Somers and ELizabeth Tomlinson. They lived between Sharon and Dresden. John Quincy Adams, another founding member of Public Well Church, married Nannie K. Waggener. Some of their family still own part of the original land on the James Adams farm. Christopher Columbus Adams, a member of the TN House, 46th General Assembly,1889-1891,and a member of the county court from the Sharon district, married Emmaline Blakemore. Mary Drucilla Adams married James H. Blakemore; Elizabeth Johns Adams married Allen David Adams from North Carolina (not related). He was a Private, Company H, 7th Tennessee Cavalry, CSA, his brother-in-law, William A. Adams,son of James and Susan, also served the 7th Tennessee Cavalry and was killed at Brice's Cross Roads, June 10, 1864. He was married to Unity Ann Adams (not related) from North Carolina. Malinda Catherine Adams married Charles Martin Templeton another Weakley County farmer; Amanda C. Adams married Joseph N. Cook., Virginia E. Adams married George Wesley Rowlett who's grandfather, Archibald Rowlett gave land for Public Well Church; Susan F. Adams died unmarried.