James Adams, born in Boone county Kentucky and moved to McLean county Illinois when he was 15, he took great interest in hunting, and made a specialty of shooting turkeys. At one time he killed fifteen in a single day. He also hunted deer. The first he killed was a little spike-horn buck, which he creased on the neck, so that it was stunned and fell, and he killed it with his knife before it could recover.
He was a tireless hunter, and once chased a deer all day after breaking into the Mackinaw and having his wet clothes frozen. He experienced some of the dangers as well as the excitements of the chase. At one time while chasing a deer his horse stepped into a badger's hole, turned a somersault, and sent the rider rolling. At one time James Adams and his brother Thomas were chasing deer on horseback. The horse which the former rode was shod as to its fore feet, but the horse ridden by the latter had no shoes at all. Unexpectedly they came to a slough overflowed and covered with ice. The horses were on the keen run and could not be reined up, and they crossed the slough of ice without slipping.
The early settlers were toughened and made hardy by their exposures. In January, 1846, Mr. Adams had an engagement with a young lady, who afterwards became Mrs. Adams. The Mackinaw was full of water and ice from bank to bank; nevertheless, lie crossed it by stepping on a cake of ice, then pushing it over to another and stepping upon that. On his return, at four o'clock in the morning, he re-crossed it in the same way. Mr. Adams says that the Mackinaw was never so high as to prevent him from crossing, though he was once stopped for a short time. He attempted to cross it on horseback, and his horse begun plunging and kept it up for half an hour. He was obliged at last to build a raft. He sometimes took passengers over on it.
Mr. Adams married, February 9, 1847, Margaret Foster, a woman who bore the trials of a pioneer life bravely. She died in 1855. Three children were born of this marriage. They are Lee Adams, who lives just east of his father's. Thomas B. and William W. Adams live at home.
Mr. Adams married, February 28, 1856 to Miss Annie Ransom, one of the most agreeable and accomplished of women. She is a lady who commands the respect and admiration of all who are so fortunate as to be numbered among her acquaintances.
James Adams is five feet and ten or eleven inches in height is somewhat slim, has clear, blue eyes, and a rather prominent nose. He is a very companionable gentleman, and loves to talk of the good old days. He is very courteous to all with whom he converses, and is widely known and respected.
James Adams, born in Boone county Kentucky and moved to McLean county Illinois when he was 15, he took great interest in hunting, and made a specialty of shooting turkeys. At one time he killed fifteen in a single day. He also hunted deer. The first he killed was a little spike-horn buck, which he creased on the neck, so that it was stunned and fell, and he killed it with his knife before it could recover.
He was a tireless hunter, and once chased a deer all day after breaking into the Mackinaw and having his wet clothes frozen. He experienced some of the dangers as well as the excitements of the chase. At one time while chasing a deer his horse stepped into a badger's hole, turned a somersault, and sent the rider rolling. At one time James Adams and his brother Thomas were chasing deer on horseback. The horse which the former rode was shod as to its fore feet, but the horse ridden by the latter had no shoes at all. Unexpectedly they came to a slough overflowed and covered with ice. The horses were on the keen run and could not be reined up, and they crossed the slough of ice without slipping.
The early settlers were toughened and made hardy by their exposures. In January, 1846, Mr. Adams had an engagement with a young lady, who afterwards became Mrs. Adams. The Mackinaw was full of water and ice from bank to bank; nevertheless, lie crossed it by stepping on a cake of ice, then pushing it over to another and stepping upon that. On his return, at four o'clock in the morning, he re-crossed it in the same way. Mr. Adams says that the Mackinaw was never so high as to prevent him from crossing, though he was once stopped for a short time. He attempted to cross it on horseback, and his horse begun plunging and kept it up for half an hour. He was obliged at last to build a raft. He sometimes took passengers over on it.
Mr. Adams married, February 9, 1847, Margaret Foster, a woman who bore the trials of a pioneer life bravely. She died in 1855. Three children were born of this marriage. They are Lee Adams, who lives just east of his father's. Thomas B. and William W. Adams live at home.
Mr. Adams married, February 28, 1856 to Miss Annie Ransom, one of the most agreeable and accomplished of women. She is a lady who commands the respect and admiration of all who are so fortunate as to be numbered among her acquaintances.
James Adams is five feet and ten or eleven inches in height is somewhat slim, has clear, blue eyes, and a rather prominent nose. He is a very companionable gentleman, and loves to talk of the good old days. He is very courteous to all with whom he converses, and is widely known and respected.
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