John Adams was born in County Antrim, N. Ireland, and came to the U.S. with his parents (Alexander Adams and Mary Jane Peacock) in 1846, and settled in Rochester, NY. John learned the miller's trade from his family. He went to visit his aunt Jennie Adams Orr (wife of William), near Mount Vernon, and settled there.
He lost sight in one eye, because a piece of flint flew into it when he was dressing a mill stone in a mill in Springfield, MO. Because of that and because it was important to keep grinding flour during the war, he did not serve in the Civil War. After the war, he went to California and Oregon, where he operated a mill in Willamette River valley, in partnership with Mr. Sheridan, who was a general in the Civil War. John is said to have panned for gold in Dallas, Oregon.
He returned to Mount Vernon, and married Isabella Campbell (William Orr's niece), and they had seven children. One source said he operated a grist mill on Turnback Creek in Lawrence County. Another said John ran a store in Bowers Mill. It is also noted that he and George Likins were partners in a mill on Indian Creek, four miles west of Pineville, McDonald County, MO, where the present town of Lanagan is situated. Isabella and John operated a store and blacksmith shop there. Isabella's brother Ephraim was the blacksmith.
In April 1878, the family purchased the 105-acre tract that had housed the Patterson-Baker Mill, and moved to Jasper County, where their final two children were born. The original mill had been burned during the Civil War; while it had been rebuilt, John is credited with total refurbishment and additional building. This mill became known as Adams Mill and was in operation for many years.
The Spring River is believed to have busy with commerce in addition to powering the mill. The mill also had an ice house, which secured large quantities of ice from the mill pond. Today, all evidence of the mill is gone, but the site can be viewed from the northernmost of the Twin Bridges north of Rout F on Jasper County Road 2. The bridge is west of the mill site.
John Adams' grandson (Lawrence Wendell Adams of Texas) said that John died of pneumonia caused by fighting a forest fire in the old mill neighborhood. John was 43, and affixed his "X" to a will on December 7, 1883, the day before his death. He left each child $5, and the rest of his property to his "beloved wife, Isabella." She was named executrix. The will was delivered to a Jasper County Probate Judge on 12 December 1883.
Source: much of this information comes from a mimeographed family history that features John Adams, but also has information on his parents, siblings, and children and grandchildren. It was written by a grandchild, but there is no author on the sheet. Information coincides with other sources (such as his marriage data and the names of his children). Later, a series that ran in the "Carthage Press" contained some of the same information.
He lost sight in one eye, because a piece of flint flew into it when he was dressing a mill stone in a mill in Springfield, MO. Because of that and because it was important to keep grinding flour during the war, he did not serve in the Civil War. After the war, he went to California and Oregon, where he operated a mill in Willamette River valley, in partnership with Mr. Sheridan, who was a general in the Civil War. John is said to have panned for gold in Dallas, Oregon.
He returned to Mount Vernon, and married Isabella Campbell (William Orr's niece), and they had seven children. One source said he operated a grist mill on Turnback Creek in Lawrence County. Another said John ran a store in Bowers Mill. It is also noted that he and George Likins were partners in a mill on Indian Creek, four miles west of Pineville, McDonald County, MO, where the present town of Lanagan is situated. Isabella and John operated a store and blacksmith shop there. Isabella's brother Ephraim was the blacksmith.
In April 1878, the family purchased the 105-acre tract that had housed the Patterson-Baker Mill, and moved to Jasper County, where their final two children were born. The original mill had been burned during the Civil War; while it had been rebuilt, John is credited with total refurbishment and additional building. This mill became known as Adams Mill and was in operation for many years.
The Spring River is believed to have busy with commerce in addition to powering the mill. The mill also had an ice house, which secured large quantities of ice from the mill pond. Today, all evidence of the mill is gone, but the site can be viewed from the northernmost of the Twin Bridges north of Rout F on Jasper County Road 2. The bridge is west of the mill site.
John Adams' grandson (Lawrence Wendell Adams of Texas) said that John died of pneumonia caused by fighting a forest fire in the old mill neighborhood. John was 43, and affixed his "X" to a will on December 7, 1883, the day before his death. He left each child $5, and the rest of his property to his "beloved wife, Isabella." She was named executrix. The will was delivered to a Jasper County Probate Judge on 12 December 1883.
Source: much of this information comes from a mimeographed family history that features John Adams, but also has information on his parents, siblings, and children and grandchildren. It was written by a grandchild, but there is no author on the sheet. Information coincides with other sources (such as his marriage data and the names of his children). Later, a series that ran in the "Carthage Press" contained some of the same information.
John Adams was born in County Antrim, N. Ireland, and came to the U.S. with his parents (Alexander Adams and Mary Jane Peacock) in 1846, and settled in Rochester, NY. John learned the miller's trade from his family. He went to visit his aunt Jennie Adams Orr (wife of William), near Mount Vernon, and settled there.
He lost sight in one eye, because a piece of flint flew into it when he was dressing a mill stone in a mill in Springfield, MO. Because of that and because it was important to keep grinding flour during the war, he did not serve in the Civil War. After the war, he went to California and Oregon, where he operated a mill in Willamette River valley, in partnership with Mr. Sheridan, who was a general in the Civil War. John is said to have panned for gold in Dallas, Oregon.
He returned to Mount Vernon, and married Isabella Campbell (William Orr's niece), and they had seven children. One source said he operated a grist mill on Turnback Creek in Lawrence County. Another said John ran a store in Bowers Mill. It is also noted that he and George Likins were partners in a mill on Indian Creek, four miles west of Pineville, McDonald County, MO, where the present town of Lanagan is situated. Isabella and John operated a store and blacksmith shop there. Isabella's brother Ephraim was the blacksmith.
In April 1878, the family purchased the 105-acre tract that had housed the Patterson-Baker Mill, and moved to Jasper County, where their final two children were born. The original mill had been burned during the Civil War; while it had been rebuilt, John is credited with total refurbishment and additional building. This mill became known as Adams Mill and was in operation for many years.
The Spring River is believed to have busy with commerce in addition to powering the mill. The mill also had an ice house, which secured large quantities of ice from the mill pond. Today, all evidence of the mill is gone, but the site can be viewed from the northernmost of the Twin Bridges north of Rout F on Jasper County Road 2. The bridge is west of the mill site.
John Adams' grandson (Lawrence Wendell Adams of Texas) said that John died of pneumonia caused by fighting a forest fire in the old mill neighborhood. John was 43, and affixed his "X" to a will on December 7, 1883, the day before his death. He left each child $5, and the rest of his property to his "beloved wife, Isabella." She was named executrix. The will was delivered to a Jasper County Probate Judge on 12 December 1883.
Source: much of this information comes from a mimeographed family history that features John Adams, but also has information on his parents, siblings, and children and grandchildren. It was written by a grandchild, but there is no author on the sheet. Information coincides with other sources (such as his marriage data and the names of his children). Later, a series that ran in the "Carthage Press" contained some of the same information.
He lost sight in one eye, because a piece of flint flew into it when he was dressing a mill stone in a mill in Springfield, MO. Because of that and because it was important to keep grinding flour during the war, he did not serve in the Civil War. After the war, he went to California and Oregon, where he operated a mill in Willamette River valley, in partnership with Mr. Sheridan, who was a general in the Civil War. John is said to have panned for gold in Dallas, Oregon.
He returned to Mount Vernon, and married Isabella Campbell (William Orr's niece), and they had seven children. One source said he operated a grist mill on Turnback Creek in Lawrence County. Another said John ran a store in Bowers Mill. It is also noted that he and George Likins were partners in a mill on Indian Creek, four miles west of Pineville, McDonald County, MO, where the present town of Lanagan is situated. Isabella and John operated a store and blacksmith shop there. Isabella's brother Ephraim was the blacksmith.
In April 1878, the family purchased the 105-acre tract that had housed the Patterson-Baker Mill, and moved to Jasper County, where their final two children were born. The original mill had been burned during the Civil War; while it had been rebuilt, John is credited with total refurbishment and additional building. This mill became known as Adams Mill and was in operation for many years.
The Spring River is believed to have busy with commerce in addition to powering the mill. The mill also had an ice house, which secured large quantities of ice from the mill pond. Today, all evidence of the mill is gone, but the site can be viewed from the northernmost of the Twin Bridges north of Rout F on Jasper County Road 2. The bridge is west of the mill site.
John Adams' grandson (Lawrence Wendell Adams of Texas) said that John died of pneumonia caused by fighting a forest fire in the old mill neighborhood. John was 43, and affixed his "X" to a will on December 7, 1883, the day before his death. He left each child $5, and the rest of his property to his "beloved wife, Isabella." She was named executrix. The will was delivered to a Jasper County Probate Judge on 12 December 1883.
Source: much of this information comes from a mimeographed family history that features John Adams, but also has information on his parents, siblings, and children and grandchildren. It was written by a grandchild, but there is no author on the sheet. Information coincides with other sources (such as his marriage data and the names of his children). Later, a series that ran in the "Carthage Press" contained some of the same information.
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