My Genealogy Hound

William W. Adams, a farmer and capitalist of Southfield township, Oakland County, was born on his present fine farm of 227 acres, located in sections 4 and 5, in 1842, and is a son of Reuben and Emily O. (Tyler) Adams, the former of whom was born in New York and the latter in Connecticut. The Adams family is of Scotch-Irish extraction. William Adams, the grandfather of our subject, was a participant in the War of 1812.

Reuben Adams, the father of William W. Adams, was born in the State of New York in 1817, and died at Pontiac, Michigan, in 1893. He came to Michigan in 1837 and located on the farm now owned by our subject. He was a man of great business sagacity and at the time of his death, after having served for a long period as vice-president of the First National Bank of Pontiac, he was accounted to be worth $200,000. In religious belief he was a Universalist, and a man who believed in practical charity. In politics he was a Democrat. Reuben Adams married Emily O. Tyler, who died in 1896, at the age of 72 years. Her parents were natives of New England, who came to Oakland County in 1856, her father haying been a mechanic in a plow and wire factory in Connecticut and was the inventor of a revolver which was later patented. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Adams, namely: Charlotte A., wife of John Beattie, of Bloomfield township, Oakland County; William W.; John K., of Bloomfield township, Oakland County; Julia C., wife of Julius F. Rundell; and Arabella, wife of Edward Miller of Bloomfield township, Oakland County.

William W. Adams obtained his education in the district schools of Southfield township. He has always devoted his attention to farming to some degree, but has other large and absorbing interests, and spends much time in looking after his investments. Mr. Adams is one of the recognized capitalists of the township. He is a man of enlarged views and much public spirit.

In 1866 Mr. Adams was married to Matilda German, who was born in Bloomfield, July 19, 1845, and is a daughter of George and Henrietta German, who were farming people. Six children have been born to them, as follows: William, of Farmington township, Oakland County; Cora, wife of Clarence V. Seeley, of West Bloomfield township, Oakland County; Frank W., of Southfield township, Oakland County; Archie C., who is in a furniture business at Pontiac; and George R. and Ross, who live at home. In politics Mr. Adams is a Democrat. A portrait* of Mr. and Mrs. Adams, executed from a photograph taken in October, 1903, accompanies this sketch, being shown on a foregoing page.

*Editor's note: Portrait was included in the original printed book.