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From History of Atchison County, Kansas
by Sheffield Ingalls (Lawrence, Kansas; Standard Pub. Co.; 1916)
Pages 524-526
Stark Wilbor Adams, general manager for the Aetna Life Insurance Company, with offices in the new Masonic Temple, and secretary of the Atchison County High School board, is a native of the Buckeye State, born in May, 1866, at Huron, Ohio, and a scion of an old American family which traces its lineage back to the colonial days of New England. His father, Stark Adams, and his mother, Mary (Chandler) Adams, were born in Milan, Ohio, and Birmingham, Ohio, respectively. Stark Adams was a son of Philo, a son of Daniel Adams, of Vermont, who was a soldier in the Continental army during the American war of independence, and was a brother-in-law of Ethan Allen, of Vermont. Daniel was second in command of the "Green Mountain Boys" at the capture of Crown Point and Ticonderoga. In recognition of his services in behalf of the new nation, he was given a grant of land in the Western Reserve. His son, Philo, rode horseback from MIddlebury, Vt., to the Huron river valley in 1816 and took possession of the tract which had been granted to the family by the Government. He also traded a horse for an eighty-acre tract in addition to his own grant. He and three brothers settled on the land lying along the course of the Huron river, Philo locating at the mouth of the river where it flows into Lake Erie, and upon which the town of Huron was eventually built. The brothers became the owners of about 600 acres of land in the neighborhood. They cleared the land of standing timber, planted corn, harvested and shelled it during the first season, then crossed the lake to Buffalo to trade grain for supplies, which they again traded with the Indians for furs. They conducted a general trading business and the settlement grew from this beginning, in course of time to be of considerable importance. Philo Adams was a first cousin of John Quincy Adams, and was appointed the first collector of the Port of Huron. The first of the family to come to America was Henry Adams, who came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower," when the good ship made its second voyage to bring over the Puritans, and he settled at Mt. Wolaston, (now Quincy, Mass.) in 1638. Joseph Adams II was the son of Henry, the founder of the family in America; Joseph III, son of Joseph Adams, was next in line, and was the father of Daniel and President John Adams, second President of the United States. Daniel ADams was the father of Philo Adams, and direct ancestor of the Adams family.
Stark Adams, accompanied by his family, left the old home in Ohio in 1878, crossed the country to Hays City, Kan., and there homesteaded on 160 acres of land, taking up a timber claim of the same number of acres at the same time. Settlers were few and far between in that part of Kansas in those days, and the country was settling up slowly because of the droughts and other vicissitudes with which the farmers had to contend. Ten years after locating near Hays City, Mr. Adams came to Atchison and eventually bought a farm four miles south of the city, on which he lived until his retirement to a residence on the corner of Q and Sixth streets in Atchison. He was born October 14, 1827, and died August 30, 1909. His children are: Augusta J., at home; C. B., of 714 Park street; James Otis, on a farm, eight miles southwest of the city: Stark Wilbor; Margaretta L., at home, associated with S. W. in the office located on the second floor of the new Masonic Temple; J.D., at the family home in Atchison at 517 South Seventh street.
S. W. Adams and family came to Atchison from the farm in February, 1908, and engaged in the insurance business, the mother and father and family coming to the city in December of the same year. He opened the present office May 1, 1914, when Mr. Adams was appointed manager of the Aetna Life Insurance Company for northeast Kansas. His career as an insurance solicitor and manager has been very successful. The real estate and loan business conducted in teh same office is in charge of Jay D. Adams.
Mr. Adams was married December 25, 1899, to Miss Mary Speck, who was born on a pioneer farm in Atchison county on Stranger creek in Mt. Pleasant township. She was a daughter of Archimedes S. and Sarah E. Speck, natives of Kentucky and North Carolina, respectively, who emigrated from Indiana to Kansas, driving a team the entir distance, during the year 1855. To this union have been born, Dorothy M., Sarah E., Mildred J., Lorena Wilberta, Wilbor Speck.
Mr. Adams is a Republican in politics and has taken a more or less active part in political and civic affairs. For the past five years he has served the county as secretary of the Atchison County High School board. He and the members of his family are affiliated with the Presbyterian church. Franternally he is allied with the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
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