HOWARD B. ADAMS.

HOWARD B. ADAMS, of Iola, whose business interests are at Moran, Kansas, and who has spent nearly thirty years in Allen county, was born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, January 12, 1845. He is a son of Charles K. Adams, M. D., who was a native of Keene, New Hampshire, born 1812, and died in Maries county, Missouri, in 1870. He received his professional training in New York state and went from school to Ohio and

began practice. In 1847 he went to Green county, Wisconsin, and after some years spent there, went to Stephenson county, Illinois, and from there to Missouri where he died. He was a strong sympathiser with public education, took an active interest in politics, as a Republican, and believed firmly in the efficacy of the church. He died a Methodist. He married Jerusha B. Swain, a daughter of William Barrett Swain and granddaughter of Joseph Swain whose ancestors were among the passengers aboard the "Mayflower." John Tilley and wife and Elizabeth, daughter of John Howland, came to America in that historic little craft. The mother of Joseph Swain was a Chipman, a daughter of John Chipman and Hope, a daughter of John Howland. John Howland married Elizabeth Howland.

The mother of our subject was born in Athens, Pennsylvania, April 8, 1820. She died in Dane county, Wisconsin. She was the mother of: Charles E. Adams, who died in 1861, leaving a family; Ellen L., wife of William B. Payne, of Jefferson City, Missouri; Olive J., widow of Elijah L. Weston, of Shenandoah, Iowa, and Howard B. Adams.

Green county, Wisconsin, was the scene of our subject's boyhood. He attended the city schools till eighteen years of age when he entered the Federal army, enlisting in Company B, Eighth United States Infantry. He was mustered in on Governor's Island, New York, and joined his regiment just after the battle of Antietam. His regiment remained a part of the Army of the Potomac and he participated in the great battles of Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Wilderness, and Spottsylvania Court House. The last year of his service he was on detail and was discharged in Baltimore in June 1865.

Upon his return to Illinois, where his people had removed, Mr. Adams engaged in teaching school in the country and made it a part of his business for time. He came to Allen county in 1872 and located upon a farm east of Humboldt and here engaged in farming as well as teaching. In 1880 he went to the Paola Normal College, an efficient educational institution and teachers' training school under the leadership of Professor Whirrell, to better prepare himself for the work of higher education and, in 1883, he received a certificate of graduation. He taught in Geneva and completed his educational work with four years of service as principal of the Moran schools.

Mr. Adams turned his attention to merchandising in 1888, succeeding W. J. Steele in the hardware business in Moran, with Charles Mendell as partner. Disposing of this business he established himself in the lumber business and the firm of Adams & Merrill is one of the prominent and popular ones of the city. Mr. Adams has served Moran as Mayor, on its Council, as City Treasurer and on her Board of Education.

Mr. Adams was first married in Stephenson county, Illinois, in 1867 to Ruth A. Harris. The Harris's were from near Lake Champlain, New York, and Ruth was born in 1840. She died in 1892. She was educated in Plattsburg, New York, taught in Stephenson county, Illinois, and many years in Allen county, Kansas. Her surviving child is George I. Adams,

who was born in their Illinois home August 17, 1870. After leaving the common schools George spent four years in the Kansas State Normal and after his graduation there he took the Bachelor's degree in the State University and later the Master's degree, in the same institution. He entered, next, Princeton College took the degree of Master of Science. During his career as a student he did some teaching, at Emporia and in normal institutes in Kansas. Leaving Princeton Mr. Adams spent a year in Germany, at Munich, taking lectures and perfecting the German language. Soon after his return to the United States he was appointed to a position upon the geological survey of Kansas. He spent two years at this and the following two years as assistant geologist upon the United States Geological survey. In May 1900 he successfully passed the examination for permanent appointment with the United States Geological Survey and is stationed at Washington, D. C.

H. B. Adams' second marriage was to Emma E. a daughter of James R. McNaught, of Allen county. Mr. McNaught was born in Morgan county, Indiana, in 1828 and came to Kansas in 1870. He married Rebecca Adams and Emma E. is their fourth child. Mr. McNaught died in March 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Adams' children are: Charles H., born in 1894; Scott McKinley, born in 1895; Grace E., born in 1897, and Ruth Eddy, born in 1900. Mr. Adams erected, in 1900, one of the handsome cottages of Iola, located upon the north eminence overlooking the city and here he is resting from an active and well-spent life.

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