TOWN OF ADAMS

History of the Town of Adams linked from Shirley Farone's Home Page taken from CHILD'S GAZETTEER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY by HAMILTON CHILDS, published in 1890, transcribed by Shirley Farone.

History of the Town of Adams linked from "Ray's Place", as found in OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE by EDGAR C. EMERSON, 1898

History of the Town of Adams, taken fromA HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK by FRANKLIN B. HOUGH, A. M., M.D. linked from Shirley Farone's Home Page

Settlement in the Town of Adams began in 1800. The act creating the town was passed 1 April 1802, and originally included the present Town of Rodman. Situated in the southwestern part of Jefferson County, it is bounded by Hounsfield and Watertown on the north, Rodman on the east, Lorraine and Ellisburg on the south, and Henderson on the west. The land is fairly level, making it beautiful farming country. The principle streams are Stony Creek and the north branch of Big Sandy Creek, both of which flow into Lake Ontario.

The principal village is Adams, originally Smith's Mills, on the southern border, with Adams Center in the middle of the town. Smithville is a hamlet located on both sides of the border between the Towns of Adams and Henderson. South Jefferson Historical Society, an organization promoting local and family history, is located in Adams. It actively collects documents and information relating to the history of the six southernmost towns of Jefferson County.

From the 1864 Jefferson County Atlas: a summary of statistics for ADAMS:

ACRES OF LAND
  Improved                    19,399 1/2
  Unimproved                   6,745 1/2

VALUATION
  Real Estate             $  774,418  
  Personal Property       $  252,460
  Total                    1,026,878 

POPULATION
  Males                        1,653
  Females                      1,753

Number of Dwellings              610

Number of Families               678    

Freeholders                      524

SCHOOLS

  Number of Districts             15

  Children Taught              1,161 

LIVE STOCK

  Horses                         822

  Working Oxen and Calves      1,457

  Cows                         1,827

  Sheep                        2,452

  Swine                        1,068

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

  Bushels of Grain            

    Winter                    12,496 1/2

    Spring                    82,304 1/2 

  Tons of Hay                  3,492 1/2     

  Bushels of Potatoes         15,707

  Bushels of Apples           17,302

  Dairy Products              

    Pounds of Butter          99,756

    Pounds of Cheese         369,109

YARDS OF DOMESTIC MANUFACTURE  1,789

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