Ohio History Journal

OHIO

Archaeological and Historical

PUBLICATIONS

 

SETH ADAMS

 

A PIONEER OHIO SHEPHERD

 

By Charles Sumner Plumb

Among the pioneers of the Northwest Territory,

along the Ohio border on the east, were many men of

sterling worth and rather unusual administrative ability.

Notably among these men in Ohio history, was Seth

Adams.

The following pages will briefly discuss his ancestry,

review his movements as a citizen and pioneer, and set

forth his relationship to early day American sheep hus-

bandry.

The Adams genealogy herewith was furnished by

a grandson of Seth, Mr. Washington Adams of Zanes-

ville, who is now (1933) 83 years of age, in good health,

with clear mental faculties.

 

THE ADAMS FAMILY GENEALOGY

HENRY ADAMS of Braintree, Massachusetts, came to

America in 1634 from England, and died in 1646. He

was seven generations removed from Seth. Henry had

a family of eight children.

(1)

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EDWARD ADAMS, the eighth son of Henry, the sixth

generation from Seth, was born in England in 1630.

He came to America with his parents. In 1652 he mar-

ried Lydia Rockwood, and died in his Medfield home in

1716. Edward was a Selectman in Medfield for many

years, and was also a Representative in the Massachu-

setts General Court (the Legislature) from Medfield in

1689-'92, and 1702.

JOHN ADAMS, the third son of Edward and Lydia,

of the fifth generation from Seth, was born in 1657 in

Medfield. John was twice married and was the father

of fourteen children. His second wife was Deborah

Partridge. John passed his days in Medfield, where he

died in 1751 at the ripe age of ninety-four years.

EDWARD ADAMS, the first son of John and Deborah,

the fourth generation from Seth, was born in Medfield

in 1682. He was married twice, his first wife being

Rachael Saunders. He had a family of seven children.

He died in 1742 in Milton, Massachusetts, where he was

living.

JOHN ADAMS, commonly known as "Deacon Adams,"

of the third generation from Seth, was a son of Edward

and Rachael. He was born in Milton in 1709, and like

hs father was married twice, first to Sarah Swift, and

second to Widow Warren, mother of General Joseph

Warren, hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill. John was

the father of thirteen children, four of whom were sons,

and each active in the Revolutionary war. He died in

1790, aged eighty-one years.

SETH ADAMS, SR., the father of Seth, Jr., was a son

of John and Sarah, born in Milton in 1740, married Ann

Lowder, and died in 1782. With John Kneeland he

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Seth Adams                  3 established a publishing-house in Boston. He became a post-rider in 1769, and in 1765 became a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. SETH ADAMS, JR., a son of Seth, Sr., and Ann, was born in Boston in 1767, and married in 1793 to Elizabeth

Apthorp. Seth and Elizabeth were parents of the fol- lowing eleven children: Thomas Bulfinch, born in Bos- ton in 1794; Mary Ann, born in Boston in 1795; William Apthorp, born in Boston in 1797; John Apthorp, born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1798; Charles Ward,

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born in Dorchester in 1801; George Frederick, born in

Dorchester in 1802; Elizabeth, born in Dorchester in

1804; Francis Thomas, born in Marietta in 1805; Rob-

ert Seth, born in Zanesville in 1806; Lucy Ann, born in

Wakatomaka in 1809, and James Freeman, born in

Zanesville in 1812.

Seth, the father of these eleven children, was for

some years a merchant in Boston, and engaged in ship-

ping, dealing in an assortment of goods, as is shown in

the following advertisement, copied from the Boston

Daily Advertiser of Saturday, October 15, 1796:

(From Old State House Collection, Boston.)

 

ADAMS AND LORING

"Have received by the ships Minerva and Galen, a

handsome and extensive assortment of European Goods,

which they are now opening at their Wholesale and Re-

tail Store, No. 55 Cornhill. having personally formed

respectable connections in Europe for their present and

future supplies. They flatter themselves of having it

in their power to sell on such terms as will be satisfac-

tory to purchasers."

Up to the early days of the eighteenth century, but

little is known of the life of Seth Adams. He no doubt

attended the public schools in Boston, and like his father

followed up a commercial occupation, as soon as his

years would permit. The period of time in which he

engaged in wholesale and retail trade, with an interest

in the shipping industry, is not known to the writer.

In a search for some of the facts associated with the

migration of Mr. Adams from Massachusetts to Ohio,

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Seth Adams                   5

some newspaper articles by Mr. E. H. Church,* a favor-

ably known Zanesville historian of some half-century

ago, furnished considerable desirable information as a

part of this study of Mr. Adams' life.

In 1783 the United States acquired from Great Brit-

ain all the territory held by her east of the Mississippi

River. A portion of this, including what is now Ohio,

Indiana and Michigan, became known as the Northwest

Territory. In 1786 there was organized in Boston what

was known as "The Ohio Company of Associates," with

the purpose of settling and developing this Northwest

Territory. In 1788 General Rufus Putnam, represent-

ing this company, with a group of emigrants reached

the region where the Muskingum river enters the Ohio,

and there founded Marietta. This western country was

the scene of much border warfare with the Indians, but

settlers poured in and the Indians were either subdued

or forced back. In 1794 General Anthony Wayne had

a well-organized army which at the battle of Fallen

Timbers defeated the Indians and brought organized

peace, which was signed by twelve chiefs of different

tribes.

Ohio now grew with considerable rapidity** and set-

tlements sprang up and developed in every quarter. In

1799 there were in existence and enjoying peace and

prosperity the towns of Marietta, Columbia, Cincinnati,

North Bend, Gallipolis, Manchester, Hamilton, Dayton,

Franklin, Chillicothe, Cleveland, Franklinton, Steuben-

ville, Williamsburg and Zanesville. Their prosperity

* "The Early History of Zanesville"--The Zanesville Daily Courier,

January 11, 18, 25, and February 1, 1879.

** Encyclopedia Americana, Vol. XX, 1922, p. 617.

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and safety was accomplished through much tribulation

and danger, for during the period of their development

the Territory had passed through its second war with the

Indians, to which a retrospect is necessary. Under

Governor St. Clair, Ohio had been organized as a Ter-

ritory in 1798, at which time there were about 5000

free males of age within its boundaries.

At this time, according to Encyclopedia Americana,

Ohio had a population of 42,000. Transportation and

trade were increasing on all hands. On the Ohio river

there were packets running regularly for mail and

traffic between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, making the

round trip in about four weeks. The first vessel of any

size or importance was the brig St. Clair, built at

Marietta, of 110 tons burden. It was loaded with pro-

visions, sailing down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers

and across the Gulf of Mexico, finally landing safely in

Philadelphia. Transportation by land was by the heavy

and cumbrous trading wagons drawn by four and six

horses. Cincinnati was a great distributing point for

the southern and central part of the territory.

The interest in these lands of the Northwest Ter-

ritory was especially great in New England, and Seth

Adams became filled with a desire to see the West and

note its possibilities. So on March 3, 1803, in company

with the Rev. T. H. Harris and John Dix, his brother-

in-law, he started with Marietta as his objective. In a

two-horse carriage from Boston, they crossed the Alle-

ghanies to Pittsburgh, and continued to Wheeling.

From there they proceeded down the Ohio river in what

was known then as a keel-boat. They reached Marietta

in good condition, and the New Englanders there re-

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Seth Adams                  7

ceived them hospitably. Among the friends of Adams

at Marietta were General Rufus Putnam, Judge Gilman,

Judge Woodbridge and Return J. Meigs, Jr., who later

became governor of Ohio and one of its noted citizens.

Mr. Adams had intended settling in either Ohio or

Kentucky, and so desired to examine the soil and study

the climate. With Dix as a companion, Mr. Adams got

two horses from Marietta friends, and started to ex-

plore the land in northern Kentucky. They examined

lands about Limestone, now Maysville, and then went on

to Lexington, Danville and Frankfort, all small villages.

From Frankfort they traveled down the Licking river

to Newport, Kentucky, where they crossed the river to

Cincinnati, a town of perhaps 400 houses and 1000

population.  From here they went up the Ohio to

Marietta, which they reached on June 1st.

Messrs. Adams and Dix had examined a large area

of land, and were well pleased. The beauty of the

country and fertility of the soil surpassed their most

sanguine expectations, so they decided to make their

home in the West, and planned to come back with their

families. They returned to Wheeling, which was reached

on June 9. Here they harnessed their horses and re-

turned to Boston by the route by which they had come

West. Mr. Adams was much pleased with the land

between Danville and Lexington, Kentucky. He bought

about 5000 acres there with the proviso that Mrs. Adams

would make her home with him in that part of the

country. On arriving home he gave a glowing descrip-

tion of the country, but Mrs. Adams refused to move to

Kentucky. As a New England woman she compre-

hended the demoralizing effect of slavery.

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In the fall of 1804, Mr. Adams finally decided to

make his home in Ohio, where he had numerous friends

and acquaintances. So on November 1st, in a strong

four-horse carriage which he had purchased, he started

for the West with his family, which consisted of the wife

and seven children, a nurse-maid, a bound boy and a

hired man named William Gregory. This latter rode

the family horse and assisted in keeping the carriage

upright while crossing the Alleghanies. The children

were Thomas, Mary Ann, William, John, George,

Charles and Elizabeth, the latter six months old.

After a long and tedious journey, with an upset but

once, and that in crossing the Juniata river, they arrived

safely at Wheeling late in November, 1804. Shortly

before their arrival the weather had turned bitterly

cold, the boats had stopped running and the river was

closed with ice. Consequently Mr. Adams and family

remained in Wheeling until the next March. During his

stay at Wheeling he sold his horses, excepting the family

one, and the carriage. Then with the river free of ice,

the family took passage down the Ohio to Marietta,

which they reached about the middle of March. The

river was then very high and had overflowed its banks

and part of the site of Marietta. The tavern at which

he stopped was surrounded with water, which also cov-

ered the first floor.  When the flood subsided Mr.

Adams rented a large frame house and opened a store

in the front rooms. He had purchased a stock of goods

in the East, and these followed him to Marietta.

In the spring of 1806, Adams purchased from Dud-

ley Woodbridge, of Marietta, 2000 acres in one tract at

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Seth Adams                  9

the mouth of Wakatomaka Creek, near where Dresden

is now located. For this he contracted to pay $10,000,

in six annual payments, and gave his notes for the same.

This purchase was for the purpose of establishing a

flock of Merino sheep. On this tract were two log cabins

and a sawmill, located three-fourths of a mile up the

creek from its mouth. Into one of these cabins he re-

moved his stock of goods from Marietta, and established

here in the wilderness a trading-post, and commenced

trafficking with the hunters and Indians, trading goods

for pelts and furs. In October, 1806, at the term of

court in Zanesville, he took out a license to sell mer-

chandise and paid a fee of five dollars a year for the

same. In the fall of 1806 and spring of 1807 Mr. Adams

erected a large, two-story hewed log house on his farm,

with a wide hall through its center. He covered the

house with shingles and built a cellar under it, which

was such an unusual thing to do in that day that it was

the wonder of the neighborhood. The people marveled

at such a large house and the use he had for it. One

part being completed in the fall of 1807, he placed his

family and goods on a boat at Marietta, and started for

the new home on Wakatomaka Creek. All things moved

smoothly until the boat arrived at Duvall's dam, in the

Muskingum, when it got out of the control of its pilot,

and ran under the water flowing over the dam, and

barely escaped filling and going to the bottom. The boat

was landed on the island at the point and the goods

taken out and dried, after which it was bailed out, and

the dried goods replaced on board. It was a difficult job

to get up by the falls at Zanesville, but by hard work

they were finally cleared. The boat finally reached

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Wakatomaka, one mile west of the home of Major

Jonathan Cass.

When Mr. Adams moved to this new home Indians

were numerous in this section. They came from long

distances to trade their pelts and skins for ammunition,

dry goods, trinkets, etc. Captain Pipe, a noted chief of

the Delaware tribe, often visited this post. His head-

quarters were on a branch of the Mohican river in what

is now Ashland county. The branch of the Delaware

tribe to which Pipe belonged, resided along the Mus-

kingum, Tuscarawas and Cuyahoga rivers. Chief Pipe

was over six feet tall, of erect and splendid carriage,

and was well known to the white settlers on the Mus-

kingum and its branches. He had great influence among

the Indians and was popular with the whites. In the

fall of 1808, Captain Pipe and his squaw, a small, fair-

skinned woman, and a large number of Delaware In-

dians, came to Seth Adams' trading post to exchange

goods. While the braves were trading, the squaws and

children remained on a grass-plot near the post. When

the trading was over, the bottle was passed around.

When it reached Captain Pipe he politely declined. Day

after day trading was engaged in, each evening the

Indians returning to their camp. At a time when the

season of trading was about ended, Mr. Adams invited

Captain Pipe and his squaw to dine with him in their

home, which invitation was accepted. The Indians were

ushered into a carpeted room, the first they had ever

seen, and were wonderfully surprised at the elegance

surrounding them. When dinner was ready, Captain

Pipe seated himself at the right of Mr. Adams, while

his squaw sat at the right of Mrs. Adams. Said Mr.

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Seth Adams                 11

Adams, "Captain Pipe, you are the only Indian I have

ever seen who would not drink whiskey," to which the

Chief replied, "Mr. Adams, you are greatly mistaken.

I like whiskey as well as any other Indian, but always

refuse to drink in the presence of my tribe because it

presents a bad example to my people, and especially to

bad Indians. Among white gentlemen and peaceful In-

dians I never refuse to drink." Mr. Adams turned to

his son William and requested him to go to the cupboard

and bring a green bottle and a glass, which he passed

to Captain Pipe. The Captain poured out a small drink

and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Adams (and turning around)

and children, here's to your good health." He then

drank, bowing at the same time politely to each person

in the room. After drinking he turned to Mr. and Mrs.

Adams and said, "We have a saying in our language

which I think has a great deal of wisdom in it. It is

this: 'Captain Whiskey is a great warrior; fight him

long enough and he is sure to get your scalp.'"

After the departure of Captain Pipe Mr. Adams

called the attention of his sons to the Indian's proverb

as being truthful and wise. At the time Mr. Adams

established his home on Wakatomaka Creek there were

in that section four or five Indians to every white man.

They were the remnants of the Delaware, Wyandotte,

Ottawa, Mingo and Mohegan tribes. They lived on Owl

Creek, Mohegan, Killbuck, Tuscarawas, Cuyahoga and

branches, and wandered over the region between Lake

Erie and the Ohio river. The tribes living in the north-

ern part of New York State claimed Ohio as their hered-

itary hunting ground. When the power of the Indians

was broken, and the remnants of the tribes driven back

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from the settlements, they made Ohio their home until

crowded out by the whites. On some occasions as many

as 150 Indians would collect at Wakatomaka Creek and

trade the skins of fur-bearing animals for whiskey, lead,

powder, tobacco, rifles and trinkets of various kinds.

The Indian braves were merely overgrown children.

Mr. Adams was a strictly temperate man and in prin-

ciple was opposed to dealing in whiskey, but it was neces-

sary to keep the article in stock in the West at that time.

The Indians continued to trade at this post until the

War of 1812, when they suddenly disappeared and never

returned. It happened so in the case of Captain Pipe,

who disappeared with another Chief known as Big

Horn. It is worthy of note that in July, 1788, Captain

Pipe with other Indian chiefs made a peace treaty with

Governor St. Clair at the old Indian town on the right

bank of the Muskingum. During the time of Mr. Adams'

residence by Wakatomaka Creek, Indians frequently

visited their old camping-ground on the Muskingum to

look on the graves of their ancestors, which were located

about three-fourths of a mile from the Adams' residence.

Mr. Adams was for the time, in many ways, what we

today commonly term a progressive farmer. This is

illustrated in the following case. After becoming estab-

lished on the Wakatomaka, he repaired a dam that was

out of condition, that was convenient to his residence.

A sawmill had been erected at this dam in 1801 by a

Mr. Russell. It was here that lumber was purchased by

Joseph F. Munro, with which he erected his store build-

ing and residence in Zanesville, near the end of Main

Street. After coming into possession of his property,

Mr. Adams established a buhrstone grinder in his mill,

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Seth Adams                 13

so that corn might be ground for himself and neighbors.

No other mill was nearer than Zanesville, so it proved

a great convenience in the community. The Wakatomaka

Creek even then furnished more power through the dam

than was necessary to operate the saw and buhrstone.

So Mr. Adams rented water power to a Mr. Chesney, a

settler from Connecticut, who erected a factory on the

creek, in which to manufacture wooden bowls. Here he

made bowls that ranged in size from a quart to the large

ones used in bread making. This was the first factory

of the kind established in this part of the country.

In connection with this mill occurred the following

interesting experience.  One day Thomas and John

Adams, sons of Seth, were in the mill sitting on the car-

rier by which logs were moved up to the saw. A great

cogwheel carried the log forward. These two boys were

in conversation, and while thus engaged someone below

set the mill in operation. John was sitting on the car-

riage next to the cog-wheel, and before he knew it the

cogs had caught him by the thigh. Thomas at once saw

the necessity for quick action, and he jumped to the first

floor and stopped the mill. As it was the boy barely

escaped having a crushed thigh. Even then the bone

was fractured, and the flesh badly lacerated. The father,

comprehending the dangerous nature of the wound,

mounted a horse and rode with all speed day and night

to Mt. Vernon, approximately 100 miles away. Here

resided Dr. Hillier, a personal friend, and said to be

one of the most skillful surgeons in the West. He re-

turned to the Adams' home, cared for the injured boy,

and remained with the family for several days, until

serious results were passed. At the time the Doctor in-

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formed the father that the injury might render his son,

in after years, liable to rheumatism and swellings. Such

proved true, and in later years John Adams suffered

greatly from these ills of the flesh.

Mr. Adams' brother William had lived in Louisiana

for some time, and in 1808 he came back north up the

Mississippi and Ohio rivers in a boat from New Orleans.

He called upon his brother on the Wakatomaka, and

brought with him some agricultural seeds, and especially

of the tomato and asparagus. At this time the tomato

was unknown in the West. William Adams had eaten

tomatoes as prepared for the table in New Orleans and

looked upon them with favor. At this time horticulture

was an unknown art in Ohio. The pioneers of that day

had given no attention to the raising of fine vegetables

for the table. They had been satisfied with corn, pota-

toes, cabbage and pork. The limited land cleared was

needed for standard products, such as corn, wheat, po-

tatoes, cabbage or pumpkins. It was then too early for

experiments with new crops.

The eloquence of William Adams in behalf of the

tomato, had caused Seth to plant the seed in the rich soil

of the Wakatomaka, and from it he grew a fine crop,

the first tomatoes raised in south-eastern Ohio. How

to prepare them for the table was the important ques-

tion. No one but William Adams had before seen a

tomato, and he was not a skillful cook. It was finally

concluded that the best way to do would be to boil the

tomato, then squeeze out the juice, and put it on bread.

The dish so prepared was not palatable. Seth Adams

was not disposed to give up on a first trial, so the family

continued experimenting until they finally cooked the

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Seth Adams                  15

tomato so that it was palatable. Of course over a century

ago this vegetable was unimproved in comparison with

the tomato of today. However, this was the beginning

of tomato-culture among the pioneers of the West.

The part played by Seth Adams in early American

sheep husbandry, is, however, the more notable and

creditable episode in his life, whereby he assumed a place

in agricultural history such as to justify a permanent

place among the great American pioneers in this phase

of livestock husbandry.  As a prelude however, to

this subject, it may be said that for several centuries the

people of Spain had bred a class of sheep that had been

known as the Merino. On account of their very superior

fleece, the Spanish government had prohibited their ex-

portation. However, in spite of this fact, sheep had been

taken from Spain to Germany, France, England and

Australia prior to 1800. In 1786 Louis XVI of France

asked the King of Spain for permission to import a flock

to be established on his farm at Rambouillet, which re-

quest was granted.* As a result, on October 12, 1786,

there were delivered at Rambouillet 41 rams, 318 ewes

and seven wethers, all of superior breeding. From this

flock has descended the Rambouillet breed of sheep of

today.

In 1793 William Foster of Boston smuggled from

Spain a ram and two ewes, which he presented to a

friend, Andrew Craigie of Cambridge. The recipient

did not realize their value, and used them for food.

These were the first Merinos brought to America from

Europe.

 

* Origin Rambouillet fold of sheep. American Rambouillet Record,

Vol. I, 1891, p. 7.

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Under the subject of the introduction of Merinos into

the United States, Mr. Adams is credited with the fol-

lowing statement.*

"I imported in the brig Reward, Captain Hooper,

which left Dieppe in August, 1801, and arrived in Bos-

ton in October following, a Merino ram and ewe. These,

I believe, were the first pair of Merinos imported to the

United States." In this connection it may be stated that

a variety of unauthorized statements have been published

relative to this importation, but the one quoted is the

only one accredited on good authority to Mr. Adams.

The following very interesting item on this subject was

published in a Columbus paper at the time of his death.**

"Fifty years ago he was a (prominent) business man,

and extensively engaged in trade with France. During

the period when American goods were seized by Na-

poleon under some of his orders, Adams lost all his

property, and since then has been one of the claimants

for damages, which our government, by the Rives treaty,

assumed to settle and pay. A bill making appropriations

to pay off these claims was passed during Polk's admin-

istration, but was vetoed by him on the ground that we

wanted all our money to carry on the war with Mexico.

"It is stated that Mr. Adams was the first man that

introduced Merino sheep into this country. Our Min-

ister at St. Cloud was about returning, and as there was

a severe law against exporting fine-wooled sheep, Mr.

Adams got a few on board the vessel as stores for the

Minister's use on the passage home. It so happened that

 

* Quoted in "The American Shepherd" by L. A. Morrell, New York,

1846, p. 70. (From the American Cultivator.)

** Ohio State Journal, September 21, 1852.

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Seth Adams                 17

they were not eaten, and were the first of the kind that

had been imported." That Mr. Adams was in the trans-

Atlantic trade is evident, from his advertisement in the

Boston Advertiser (see p. 4), but it is very doubtful

if he would import on other than one of his own vessels,

on which the American Minister would not be likely to

travel. Further the difficulty in securing sheep applied

to Spain rather than France. This quotation gives no

specific number, but mentions "a few," while Mr. Adams

has stated specifically that two was the number.

In 1802 Colonel David Humphreys imported from

Spain 21 rams and 70 ewes to his home in Derby, Con-

necticut. These were shipped from Lisbon, Portugal, on

April 10, on the ship Perseverance.

Both Seth Adams and Colonel Humphreys were

made aware of an offer by the Massachusetts Society

for Promoting Agriculture relative to special recogni-

tion for importing sheep.

In his letter to the American Cultivator in 1846, Mr.

Adams made the following statement:

"The Agricultural Society of Massachusetts having

offered a premium of $50.00 for the importation of a

pair of sheep of superior breed, Colonel D. Humphreys

imported a flock of Merinos, and sent some of them to

Massachusetts, and he, or some one for him, applied to

the Society for the premium. Knowing from report that

his sheep did not arrive before the spring season after

mine, I applied at the same time for the premium, and

after having examined the sheep and wool, and compared

with those of Colonel Humphreys, the Society awarded

me the premium, and awarded to Colonel Humphreys a

gold medal for having imported a larger number. My

Vol. XLIII--2

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18      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

sheep were from the flock imported by Bonaparte, and

distributed through France to improve the flocks of that

kingdom."

In view of controversies which had arisen relative to

the awards made by the Massachusetts Society for Pro-

moting Agriculture, referred to as the Agricultural So-

ciety of Massachusetts by Mr. Adams, a special study

was made of this subject by Mr. John Bruce McPher-

son,* from which the following facts are brought out.

On page 6 of the "Papers on Agriculture," consist-

ing of communications made to the Society, published

in 1801 by the trustees, the offer in question is set forth

as below:

"An annual premium of thirty dollars for five years,

to the person who shall introduce into the State of Mas-

sachusetts for the purpose of propagation, a ram or ewe

of a breed superior to any now in the State; if from a

foreign country, fifty dollars. Claims to be presented on

or before 1st of October annually.

"General Francis H. Appleton, Secretary of the So-

ciety, finds from the records that on October 20, 1802, a

letter was received from Seth Adams, perhaps written

nearly a month previous, informing the Society of his

importation of two sheep--Merino breed--prior to Octo-

ber, 1802. The matter was referred to a committee com-

posed of Dr. Aaron Dexter, and Joseph Russell, Esq.,

to ascertain if Mr. Adams was entitled to the premium

for the introduction of said sheep into the State for the

year 1801. Upon stating this as a fact they were au-

* "The introduction of Merino sheep into New England." By John

Bruce McPherson, Secretary. The Bulletin National Association of Wool

Manufacturers, September, 1905, pp. 224-256.

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Seth Adams                  19

thorized to draw upon the treasurer for the amount. In

the papers published in 1804 by the Society is the ac-

count of Thomas Lindell Winthrop, treasurer, on page

60. Among the credits claimed were these:

Dec. 9, 1802. Paid for a gold medal presented by the

Society to the Hon. David Humphreys ..............$48.00

June 3, 1803. Paid Seth Adams the Society premium for

importing  sheep  .................................  50.00

 

"If Mr. Adams was awarded the premium for the

importation of sheep of an improved breed for the year

1801, as General Appleton informs us, and if Colonel

Humphreys was awarded a gold medal and not a pre-

mium for his importation of 1802, was Mr. Adams not

mistaken when he wrote that Colonel Humphreys sent

some of his sheep into Massachusetts presumably for

the purpose of claiming the premium? Is it not well nigh

conclusive that neither he nor any one for him applied

to the Society for the premium? And is it not also clear

from the dates in the treasurer's account that there could

have been no competition between the two for the pre-

mium?" This investigation of the payments in question,

seems to have been made clear by the research of Mr.

McPherson, in which it is shown that the Adams sheep

preceded those of Humphreys in coming to America.

Mr. Adams' real experience as a breeder and handler

of sheep began with his farming operations in Ohio. Not

much is known regarding his experience with sheep prior

to coming to Ohio. When he removed to this State, it

is related by his daughter, Mary Ann, later Mrs. W. M.

Lyons, that William Gregory drove overland for him

between 25 and 30 Merinos that were descended from

• 19
 

20      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

the pair imported in 1801. This seems an extravagant

statement. If there were that many sheep brought west,

some of these must have been the result of using the

ram on grade or native ewes. This statement is sup-

ported in the contents of the following letter written by

Mr. Adams in 1810 to William Jarvis of Wethersfield,

Connecticut, noted as an importer of Merinos, as well as

being a famous American breeder.*

"I have had the breed of sheep a number of years,

and am continually applied to for the full-bloods, and

know almost every person in this State and Kentucky

who is in want of them; and I have conditional engage-

ments for the next year. I imported in the year 1801, a

pair of these sheep, the first pair imported into the

United States, but I have but a small number of the full-

blooded, and I intend rearing them; and as I am known

to have the stock, I have a great advantage over any

person on this side of the mountains." These sheep, ac-

cording to Mrs. Lyons "were pure white and very beau-

tiful, unlike the common sheep." The wool was close,

fine and oily, caught the dust easily and became quite

dirty. The boys of that day used to run after the flock

and called them 'Adams' Renos.'**

In 1807 the Merino sheep owned by Mr. Adams in

Massachusetts were in November started for the West

in charge of William Gregory, the hired man who came

west with him and assisted him in getting settled. These

sheep were taken to Pittsburgh, presumably being driven

overland, at which point they were placed on a boat on

* Register Ohio Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' Assoc., Vol. I, 1885,

p. 48.

** Ibid., p. 50.

• 20
 

Seth Adams                  21

the Ohio River, and thus shipped to Marietta. The boat

on its course down-stream stopped at Wheeling and

while lying there Mr. Ebenezer Zane purchased a ram

for $750, says Mr. E. H. Church.* Captain John Dulty

(now [1879] living in Marietta), informed Mr. Church

at this time that he had a distinct recollection of seeing

these Merino sheep on the boat while docked at Wheel-

ing. The boys of that day looked upon these Merinos

with big, long, twisted horns, as great curiosities. On

arriving at Marietta, the sheep were taken off and driven

up the river to the farm of Mr. Adams on the Waka-

tomaka. Thus arrived the first flock of Merino sheep

to Ohio and the first to pass west of the Alleghany

mountains.

Due to the newness of the country, wolves were very

common in Ohio at this time, and whenever possible they

killed sheep. For this reason Mr. Adams found it neces-

sary to put his sheep each night in a strongly constructed

sheep shed, to save them from the wolves. Mr. Church

states that he housed his finest sheep during the winter

under a section of the family residence which was not

in use. The sheep entered or left their pen by a door

on a level with the ground. The common sheep were

separately housed in strong pens. At night the wolves

would prowl about, barking and howling like dogs. One

night in the summer of 1811 the sheep were left out of

doors, and according to his daughter, Mrs. Lyons, wolves

killed 35 of the flock. "This greatly discouraged my

father. He sold the balance and moved to Zanesville,

Ohio."* It is worth recording here that the Ohio Leg-

 

* Zanesville Courier, February 1, 1879.

* Register Ohio Spanish Merino Breeders' Assoc., Vol. I, 1885, p. 50.

• 21
 

22      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

islature in 1810 passed a law permitting County Com-

missioners to pay $2.00 for the scalp of each wolf

produced.

Mr. Adams' daughter, Mary Ann, related this in-

teresting incident to Mr. Church relative to her expe-

rience with the sheep.** When she was a little girl on

the farm at Wakatomaka, with her father, on a cold day

she found a lamb nearly frozen. This she took to the

house where she warmed it and fed it milk from a bottle.

The lamb showed great affection for its mistress, and

grew to be a great pet. After it had attained a suitable

age for service, her father sold it in Kentucky for $500.

This was a ewe and carried a very fine quality of fleece.

It may be mentioned here that Mr. Adams' custom was

to sell his wool to the Steubenville Woolen Mill, the first

concern of the kind established in this part of the

country.

According to Ezra A. Carman*** a number of these

sheep or their immediate descendants were sold to resi-

dents of Kentucky. Judge Todd, the father of the wife

of President Lincoln, and resident of Kentucky, paid

Mr. Adams $1500 for a pair. This occurred in 1809,

and these Merinos were the first sent into that State.

Following this sale he sold a number of ewes in Kentucky

for $500 each.

An article in the National Intelligencer, dated at Ma-

rietta, July 17, 1810, says "The enterprising Mr. Seth

Adams arrived at this place on the 9th inst. on his way

 

** Zanesville Courier, Feb. 1, 1879.

*** Special Rept. on Hist. and Present Condition Sheep Industry in

United States, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau Animal Industry, 1892,

p. 137.

• 22
 

Seth Adams                 23

to Kentucky and Tennessee with 176 Merino sheep from

the flock of Colonel D. Humphreys of Connecticut." A

letter written at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, dated

June 12, 1810, says, "that 203 Merino sheep belonging

to Colonel Humphreys of Connecticut passed through

this borough on Saturday last, on their way to Kentucky.

They were all males, and none less than half-blooded.

We understand that Mr. John Ranfrew of Guilford

Township, and Mr. John Hetich of this borough, each

bought one of these valuable animals, which had become

lame from traveling, the only ones the agent of Colonel

Humphreys was authorized to dispose of." The agent

in this case must have been Mr. Seth Adams. It seems

almost incredible that this drove of 203 sheep should all

be males, as ewes were much in demand for breeding

purposes at that time. It is stated in the history of Stark

County, Ohio,* that the first Merinos brought into Ohio

were doubtless by Mr. Adams, and were Humphrey

Merinos, "undoubtedly the best ever imported into the

United States, by whatever name called." They were

kept for some time in Washington County, where Ma-

rietta is the county-seat, and afterwards removed to

Muskingum County, near Zanesville. Quoting this his-

tory of Stark County, "He had a sort of partnership

agency with Humphreys for keeping and selling them.

They were scattered, and had they been taken care of

and appreciated, would have laid a better foundation of

flocks in Ohio than any sheep brought into it from that

time until 1852." Of such great importance did it appear

to the settlers of the western country that this breed of

 

* History of Stark County with an Outline Sketch of Ohio. Edited by

William  Henry Perrin, Bastin &  Battey, Publishers, Chicago, 1881.

• 23
 

24      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

sheep should be widely distributed, says Mr. Carman,

that in the latter part of 1807 and early in 1808 the

newspapers proposed that every bank having national

encouragement should be obliged to give assistance in

procuring them and providing for their care and

increase.

According to William E. Hunt,* "the first Merino

sheep of thorough blood brought into this county

(Coshocton) were bought by Major Robinson and Major

Simmons from old Seth Adams, who, as partner or agent

of Colonel Humphreys, brought to the Muskingum

valley some of Colonel Humphreys' importation from

Spain, and had them in Muskingum County, near Dres-

den, as early as 1812. They were not cared for and no

trace of them is now left."

One naturally is interested to learn if any line of

breeding back to the flock of Mr. Adams were possible

in more recent days. One flock was for many years per-

petuated near Marietta, Ohio, writes Mr. Stephen

Powers in 1887.** "In 1809 Rufus Putnam of Marietta,

Ohio, bought of Seth Adams some full-blooded Merinos,

and founded a flock, which was continued by his son,

L. J. P. Putnam, substantially to the present time, but

without registration."

Negotiations for the sale of a Merino ram in 1810

are of such a remarkable character, that they are here

given as a part of early Ohio Merino history, in which

Mr. Adams is one of the negotiators.*** The following

letter explains itself:

* Historical Collections of Coshocton County, Ohio, 1764-1876, p. 85.

** The American Merino; for Wool and for Mutton.

*** From Manuscript in possession of Marietta College library, re-

produced by the author of this biographical sketch.

• 24
 

Seth Adams                 25

Marietta, September 24, 1810.

"Col. David Humphreys:

Sir: You probably have been informed by your

agents, Mr. Elier Ives and Mr. Seth Adams, that they

left with us a full-blood (yearling) Merino ram on

the following terms, viz: We are to put 25 1/2 blood &

60 1/4 blood ewes to the ram. For the former we are to

pay 300 dols. & for the latter are to give half the lambs,

which may proceed from the 60 ewes. The 1/4 blooded

ewes are spring lambs & it is not expected they will all

breed the first year.

Being very desirous of owning one of this most val-

uable race of animals we take the liberty of making you

the following offer for the ram in question.

On condition of being exonerated from paying the

above mentioned $300 and from delivering half the

lambs of the 60 1/4 blood ewes, we will give you for the

ram, one section & four fractions of land in the Ohio

Company purchases, containing in the whole sixteen

hundred & eighty-eight acres. We make our offer in

land because cash, in this new country, is almost out of

the question.

This property is not at this time saleable, but there is

no doubt but the lands of the Ohio Company will shortly

be in demand, as most of the land surrounding it, which

belonged to the United States, is sold and settled. In

the event of our purchasing this animal, we should ex-

pect a certificate that he is a full-blood Merino & on

our part, we would warrant the land free of incum-

brance.

It was our intention to have made our application

• 25
 

26      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

through your agent, Mr. Ives, but we are informed that

he has returned to Connecticut. We will thank you for

an answer, as soon as convenient, for should we not

purchase this ram, we intend to endeavor to buy of

Chancellor Livingston, or in some other quarter.

We own the following lands, any of which we are

willing to part with to accomplish the object in view.

Range 15 Township 11 Section              31 Acres 640

"         15       "     11 Fraction              3                   "       262

"       11         "                                   6 Section      25     "                       640

"       11               "                     6 Fraction 34 "             262

"          11             "      6                      "          25     "                              262

"          11             "                    6       "          31     "                              262

"         11       "                       6                      "          17     "                              262

"        15       "     13      "                    11                 "            640

"             14            "      6      "                    22                 "                              262

 

3492"

This offer was made by B. J. Gilman and Paul Fear-

ing of Marietta in Mr. Gilman's writing, showing how

much a Merino sheep was worth when first introduced

into the valley of the Ohio. According to Mr. C. W.

Burkett,* in 1811 Colonel Humphreys sold a ram for

1600 acres of land in Ohio, to Paul Fearing and B. J.

Gilman of Marietta, Ohio, and this ram laid the founda-

tion for a flock which was kept up for many years. This

purchase of 1600 acres was apparently in reply to the

above quoted proposition.

Mr. Adams being greatly disappointed in his farming

operations, and in the damage to his sheep caused by

the wolves, sold his farm and moved to Zanesville on

December 31, 1811. Here he at first occupied with his

good-sized family a cabin a story and a half high, on

* History of Ohio Agriculture, 1900, p. 127.

• 26
 

Seth Adams                  27

the corner of Second Street and Fountain Alley. The

following spring he moved into a comfortable frame

house on the southeast corner of Second Street and

Locust Alley, where he resided until his death.

After settling in Zanesville, Mr. Adams purchased a

piece of farm land extending from Seventh Street, north

to Elm Street. This included what has long been known

as Blandy's Hill. He brought his sheep with him from

the Wakatomaka farm, and pastured them on this land.

He still believed in sheep husbandry, if the wolves could

be kept away. At the foot of Blandy's Hill he built long,

open sheds in which to furnish his sheep shelter and

protection.

In 1812, Mr. Adams issued the following advertise-

ment concerning his sheep, and this is probably the first

document of the sort published in Ohio. The following

is copied from an original in possession of the Pioneer

and Historical Society of Zanesville.

Zanesville, January 7, 1812.

Sir: Believing that you have a wish to increase and

improve the internal resources of the country; and as

the improvement of our sheep is of the first importance

to the country at large, and more especially to this west-

ern part of it, I enclose you a sample of wool from a

full-blooded Merino ewe, that you may compare it with

any that may be offered for sale in your neighborhood;

and also show it to such as wish to examine it, or com-

pare it with the finest wool from the common breed of

this country. I would also inform you that I have for

sale a number of 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, and some full-blooded Merino

rams and ewes, which I will sell on such terms as cannot

• 27
 

28      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

fail to give satisfaction to those who wish to improve

their flocks. I will sell the 3/8, 1/2, or 7/8 on a credit of six

months, from $10 to $25 and take my pay in neat stock;

or I will dispose of them, to receive, for the 3/8 from 6

to 8 of the lambs that may be produced by the rams, to

be delivered to me at the age of six months; and for

the half-bloods, to receive from 6 to 10 of their lambs,

delivered at same age. I will also dispose of higher

bloods (except the full-blooded) on the same terms--

the price will vary as they are for goodness.

I will also furnish to your friends, either 1/2, 3/4 or 7/8

blooded rams, for the use of their flocks, to have a cer-

tain proportion of the lambs for their use; the degrees

of blood furnished, will depend upon number of ewes

that they will engage to be put to him.

My terms are 1/4, 1/3 and 1/2 the lambs produced to be

delivered at weaning age at the place where the ram is

kept; and as the person who keeps him will have some

trouble and considerable care, I will give to him one-

sixth part of my part of the lambs as compensation

therefore.

I will also furnish full-blooded Merino rams to breed

ewes that are part Merino blood, either for five dollars

each ewe, or one-half of the lambs, delivered at the place

where the ram is kept; and if 120 ewes (good) of the

common breed can be engaged, I will furnish a full-

blooded Merino ram. As I have but a few full-blooded

my first applicant will have them. I am in hopes to make

all my arrangements for the rams I have to let the next

season, by the first of May, that they may be at their

stands in season. Should you or your friends wish one,

please write me at this place, naming the number of

• 28
 

Seth Adams                  29

ewes that may be depended on, and I will as speedily as

possible, inform you what degree of blood can be sent.

Should your friends wish to purchase, I will forward

samples of wool from the rams of blood wanted, that

they may select one. I shall send three samples of each,

viz. one from the shoulder, one from the mid-rib and

one from the thigh; where I send only one sample from

a sheep, it will be from the mid-rib. Any ram purchased

from me I will deliver at the residence of the purchaser

in their State, unless it should be some extreme part of

it. I have in this town a few full-blooded rams and ewes,

and some part-blooded, which I shall be happy to show

you at any time you will please call at my house.

I am with respect,

Your humble servant,

SETH ADAMS.

Just what returns came from this advertisement there

is no means of knowing. However, his financial situa-

tion did not justify an extended campaign with high-

priced sheep. He disposed of his sheep in the course of

time, and settled down to become a useful citizen of

Zanesville. A few years following his locating in Zanes-

ville, old claims are said to have been made against Mr.

Adams,* caused by the seizure and loss of his three mer-

chant vessels in international trade, and captured by the

French, then at war with England. These losses left

Mr. Adams a comparatively poor man.

In 1822 or '23, he opened a meat stall in the new

market-house, and continued to operate it for about a

year and a half. He also had a vegetable garden at the

* Zanesville Courier, Feb. 1, 1879.

• 29
 

30      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

foot of Market Street, and raised vegetables for the

Zanesville market, his land being where the railway sta-

tion is now located. He cultivated tomatoes, asparagus

and other vegetables not commonly cultivated in the west

at that time. He appeared in market each year with

peas, beets, radishes, lettuce, and other vegetables. This

business yielded him a reasonable profit.

Mr. Adams during his residence in Zanesville was

one of the leading citizens of the town. He served as its

Mayor in 1828 and 1829, and had many terms in the

City Council. He was a public-spirited man, and worked

to develop the resources of the city and county, and

assisted in shaping and moulding their future. He

always took a great interest in agriculture, and was a

pioneer in its promotion, and in getting the farmers to

meet cooperatively in handling their farm products, to

compare opinions as to livestock merit, and the best mode

of cultivating wheat, corn and vegetables. He was the

prime mover in establishing the Muskingum County

Agricultural and Manufacturing Society. According to

J. Hope Sutor,* he was a representative citizen of Mus-

kingum County, well known as a merchant, farmer and

justice of the peace. He erected one of the first houses

built in Zanesville. His political allegiance was given to

the Whig party. At the organization of St. Peter's Epis-

copal Church on October 17, 1816, he was chosen a

warden.

Mr. Adams died September 5, 1852, aged eighty-four

years, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Zanes-

ville. His wife Elizabeth died in August of the same

* Past and Present of the City of Zanesville and Muskingum County,

Ohio, 1905, p. 403.

• 30
 

Seth Adams                  31

year. A plain marble monument about ten feet high,

crowns a lovely slope where the subject of this sketch

lies in the sleep that has no end.

The following is the inscription on the tombstone:

Seth Adams

Born in Boston, Mass.,

2 April, 1767.

Died in Zanesville, Ohio,

5th Sept., 1852.

Elizabeth

Wife of Seth Adams

Born in Boston 22 Feb., 1770

Died in Zanesville, 2d Aug., 1852

This family monument has inscriptions on all four

sides, some parts of which are more or less illegible, due

to the weathering of the marble.

A Memorial to Seth Adams at the College of Agricul-

ture of the Ohio State University, was proposed by the

writer late in 1902. In a circular prepared at the Uni-

versity in 1903, after making a brief statement regard-

ing Mr. Adams' part in sheep husbandry in Ohio and

the West, was the following: "In view of the great

work which Seth Adams rendered to Ohio and even the

nation, it has been proposed that the sheep-breeders and

feeders of Ohio erect a memorial to his name and fame.

It has been further proposed that this be in the form

of a structure to be known as 'The Seth Adams Memo-

rial Building,' to be located on the campus of the Ohio

State University among the buildings of the College of

Agriculture, and to be devoted to sheep-husbandry. This

to be a beautiful structure containing a lecture-room,

sheep-judging auditorium, museum, library of sheep

• 31
 

32      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

literature, and a Seth Adams Memorial Room in one

part, with wool rooms, shearing-room, dipping-room,

hospital, and feeding-paddocks in another part--the

latter to be connected with the farm fields; this building

to be a central point in Ohio, for the free use of all or-

ganizations in the State for promoting sheep husbandry,

in annual or special sessions, if they so desire."

This proposed plan met with the unanimous and offi-

cial approval of the Ohio Wool Growers' and Sheep

Breeders' Association at their annual meeting in

January, 1903.

On the basis of this circular, which was given a wide

distribution, it was hoped to obtain a sufficient sum of

money to carry out the contemplated plans. It was speci-

fied that sums in any amount would be acceptable. The

writer on various occasions addressed groups of Ohio

stockmen, and solicited their cooperation. Suffice it here

to state that the response to this appeal fell far short of

what was desired. Contributions ranging from ten cents

to $25.00 were received from 260 persons. A record was

kept of the name and address of each giver and the sum

contributed. After a year or more of solicitation, in

view of the difficulty in carrying the plan through, the

matter was held in abeyance. The funds collected were

placed in charge of the Office of the Board of Trustees,

from which they were placed in savings, to draw in-

terest. In a statement from the University Accountant

in April, 1933, the sum at interest on the Seth Adams

Memorial account amounted to $2761.59.

Here it may be said that, from one viewpoint, it was

fortunate that such a building was not erected on the

campus of the University. In 1903 a large acreage south,

• 32
 

Seth Adams                  33

west and north of the livestock building at the Univer-

sity, bordered on the west by the Olentangy River, was

used for pasturage and cropping by the College of Agri-

culture. In 1906-'07, the University erected on this same

land, fronting on Neil Avenue, a group of three live-

stock buildings, at an expense of $80,000, for some years

regarded as the finest buildings for their purpose in the

United States.

The growth of the University since 1903, however,

has been so rapid and great that it was found necessary

for its progressive development, and placing of new

buildings, gradually to take possession of the agricul-

tural lands on the east side of the Olentangy. As a re-

sult, appropriations were made whereby in 1924 the

University moved the headquarters of this Department

across the river upon new lands purchased by the Uni-

versity. Here a large group of buildings was erected,

including one devoted to sheep husbandry.

Thus it may be seen that the plan for using the Seth

Adams Memorial money, was seriously disturbed, with

the necessity for a sheep building as a Memorial quite

minimized.

After due consideration in the summer of 1933 by

the Animal Husbandry Department and Dean Cunning-

ham of the College of Agriculture, a plan was submitted

to President Rightmire of the University, which met

with his approval for the use of the income from the

Seth Adams Memorial in support of a Scholarship,

under the following designation:

The Seth Adams Sheep Husbandry Scholarship.

This plan was submitted to the Board of Trustees by the

Vol. XLIII--3

• 33
 

34      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

President with the following action by this body on

August 18, 1933:

"There is hereby established a scholarship in Animal

Husbandry, known as the Seth Adams Sheep Husbandry

Scholarship, the holder of which shall enjoy the same

for one year, and shall be a senior student in the four-

year course, specializing in Animal Husbandry. The

student selected for this scholarship must have a good

scholastic record and must show distinct ability and

aptitude for sheep husbandry in his class work. While

holding the scholarship he shall in conference with

the instructional staff, plan and carry out a trip in the

State of Ohio in which he shall visit and study carefully

ten farms in which sheep husbandry is a specialty. This

will constitute a field trip and the holder of the scholar-

ship shall make observation on the methods of breeding,

of the care and management of the flock, and secure

and record such information as may be possible. At least

two of these farms must breed Merino sheep. A report

of this inspection and study trip is to be submitted to

the Department of Animal Husbandry, under such con-

ditions as that department may prescribe."

By action of the Trustees, one-half of the interest

accruing annually on this Seth Adams Memorial Fund

shall be devoted to increasing the principal of the fund;

the other half of the said annual interest to be used for

the support of the scholarship above specified. When

this fund has been increased to $5,000 by the addition

of the interest annually, as above noted, the entire in-

come shall be devoted to a scholarship under such con-

ditions as may be recommended by the Department of

Animal Husbandry at that time and as may be approved

by the Board of Trustees.

• 34