Study Areas

Enslavement

Anti-Slavery

Free Persons of Color

Underground Railroad

The Violent Decade

US Colored Troops

Civil War

Year of Jubilee (1863)

Who's Who in Pennsylvania's Underground Railroad

John and Eli Adams, Greene County

Letter from Jan Slater, May 01, 2006

John and Eli Adams of Greene County PA were active in the Underground Railroad. While this mention in the history book by Waychoff is for John there are other references to both John and Eli Adams.  Bill Davison has done some research and I will go back through his emails.

 

1) The history states John Adams, Hargus Creek is in Center Township and

2) census confirms they were there in 1850, 1860, 1870 & John in 1880,

3) cemetery transcription by the Hennen's state Adams Cemetery where Eli & children of John's are buried is on Hargus Creek,

4) another history states John left Greene County about 1883,

5) and lastly the obituary of Eli Adams states he was "not a white man" and that he lost the right to vote but regained it to vote one last time before he died.

 

According to estate papers for their father Abraham Adams they were in Greene County by 1832 (by name) - some census records indicate they were born in PA one indicates John was born in Maryland. Their father  Abraham Adams appears in Greene County as early as 1820. John Adams was born about 1814 Eli Adams was born about 1811. 

 

1) From Local History of Greene County and Southwestern Pennsylvania by Andrew J. Waychoff

Page 85 "The younger Henry Taylor while hunting one morning on the ridge toward Pursley Creek was suddenly confronted by a haggard looking colored woman. He directed her to the home of John Adams on Hargus Creek. There was nearby in the woods a family of colored people in hiding. John Adams kept them about a week. John Remley of Rogersville placed baskets of food near some springs in the woods thinking that hunger would force them out and he could find and catch, them. John Adams getting fearful, sent then to a family named Redmond above Holbrook. After about three days he sent them to Rev. Mr. William Leonard."
 

2) Census - living next door to each other - their mother is in first one then the other household

1850 Center Township Greene County PA  John Adams and Eli Adams

1860 Center Township Greene County PA John Adams and Eli Adams

1870 Center Township Greene County PA  John Adams and Eli Adams

1880 Center Township Greene County PA John Adams

 

3)

ADAMS Cemetery

Located on Hargus Creek, Center Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania.
Compiled Fall 1975 by Dorthy & James Hennen.    
  
 Adams, Archibald        d:  1-7-1873 age 17y
  
 Adams, Eli              d:  3-5-1871, age 61y
  
 Adams, Christina        d:  1-21-1866 age 46y
    Wife of Eli Adams
  
 Adams, Franklin         d:  3-12-1862 age 4y 5m 4d
    Son of John & Elizabeth Adams
  
 Adams, Louisa           d:  3-12-1862 age 6y 8m 10d
    Daughter of John & Elizabeth Adams
  
 Adams, Maria            d:  4-2-1862 age 11y 2m 23d
    Daughter of John & Elizabeth Adams
*********************************

4)

From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, page 667.
Brant & Fuller, 1890.


ELIJAH ADAMS

"Elijah Adams, one of the worthy and responsible farmers of
Loudenville, was one of thirteen children born to John and Elizabeth
Adams, both natives of Greene county, Penn."

 

"John and Elizabeth Adams were old and highly respected inhabitants of
Greene county, where they lived for over sixty years.  Seven years
ago they went to live with their youngest daughter, in Wirt county,
W.Va." 

 

5)

Obituary of Eli Adams tells of losing the right to vote and then regaining it to vote one more time before he died

 

Wednesday, March 15, 1871 edition of the
Waynesburg Republican:
Eli Adams an old citizen of Centre township, this county, died week before last after a lingering illness, Mr. Adams although not a white man, in color was white in principles and a man of property and influence in his neighborhood. He had lived to see several changes in the Constitution of his state; having been a voter before that right was taken from the colored men in 1837. But he hailed its restoration again in 1870; casting one more ballot. He was then called to pass in his last ballot, and give up his life.
 

These men were related to my ADAMS ancestors of Greene County as my Jacob ADAMS was the executor of the estate of their father Abraham Adams.

 

I am also researching "Tar" ADAMS of Washington Co. but I don't know of a connection to him yet. I believe his name was Tower Adams and that he was the same person married in Washington County record as Adam Tower.  In various census years he is listed as "Tour", "Four" and Tower Adams.  One year the census taker has noted that he is a "convict".  Now how as a black man you got to be a gunsmith if you were a convict in that day and age I will never know.  "Tar" ADAMS is also a character in the book "Brady" by Jean Fritz which is historical fiction about slavery in Washington County.  I wrote to Jean Fritz month ago hoping to obtain more information about "Tar" Adams from any research she did years ago but never heard back from her.  Of course at age 91 she might be slow to answer.

 

Hope this is of interest.  Thank you for all of the information you are posting on your pages!

 

Jan Slater