My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Wright County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

James B. Adams, farmer and fruit grower of Wood Township, Wright Co., Mo., was born in Franklin County of the same State, February 25, 1831, and is a son of Burwell B. and Harriet (Allen) Adams, who were born in Charlotte County, Va., and Missouri, respectively. The father grew to manhood in his native State, and in 1818 came to Missouri, locating in St. Louis County, where he was married, but afterward moved to Franklin County, where he resided until 1844, when he was washed out by the freshet of that year, and moved to Montgomery County. Here he spent the remainder of his days, dying in 1877, at the age of eighty-three years. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. His wife died in 1856, having been a daughter of John Allen, who was born in Germany, and was a pioneer settler of America. James B. Adams is the fifth in a family of eight children, six of whom grew to maturity, and five of whom are still living, and was reared in Montgomery County, receiving a good education in the schools of Danville. After attaining a suitable age, he taught school in that county, and then went to Pike County, where he clerked in a dry goods store until about the opening of the war. He was married in that county to Miss Jane Settles, a native of Illinois, by whom he had one child, John Quincy. Ten months after their marriage the wife died, and after remaining a widower three years he married Russia Z. D. Zumwalt, who was born in St. Charles County, Mo., in 1849, to which union seven children were born, four now living: Burwell B., Minnie S., William T. and Mary L. About the opening of the war they moved to Montgomery County, where Mr. Adams enlisted in Company D, Missouri State Militia, United States Army, and served about a year and a half. He then returned home, and taught school and farmed until 1870, at which time he became a resident of Wright County, and although the war had left him without means, he set to work to retrieve his fallen fortunes, and homesteaded 100 acres of land, which he has since increased to 360 acres. He has taught school also during this time, and with the exception of about three terms has been engaged in teaching for the past twenty years. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is a Republican in politics.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 90 biographies included in The History of Wright County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Wright County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Wright County, Missouri family biographies, click here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.