The Valley of Heart's Delight
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WILLIAM HUMBOLDT ADAMS
Bio- Sawyers
SURNAMES: POMEROY, ACKLEY, BURDEN,
The life which this narrative chronicles began in a tent at the Sink of the Humboldt in Nevada, on August 12, 1852, while his parents were enroute from Ilinois to California with ox-teams. He is the oldest living son of Capt. John Hicks and Matilda (Pomeroy) Adams, the former a sturdy pioneer who first came to California in 1849. William Humboldt Adams was reared in Santa Clara County and he attended the Adams district school and later Gates Institute and Business College in San Jose. IN 1870 he was a student a the University of the Pacific , and served during 1873-76 as deputy sheriff under his father. In 1876 he went to San Benito County, where he owned a stock ranch, abut the dry year broke him up; then he returned to San Jose and engaged in contract teaming until settling on his present ranch. In 1896 he removed to the Llagas district, where he had purchased eighty-five acres, twenty of which he set to prunes. When he first settled on the ranch, the land was covered with oak trees and poison oak brush, but he persevered until the tillable land was cleared and a fine orchard property was developed.
Mr. Adams’ marriage on May 9, 1877, at Emmet, San Benito County, united him with Miss Nellie Ackley, a daughter of Samuel Ackley, a pioneer of San Benito County, and they are the parents of five children;’ Gertrude I. , the wife of Roy Ackley, and orchardist at Llagas; Harry J. is married and with his wife and two children reside on the Llagas; W. J., Jr., died at the age of thirty-five, survived by his widow and five children, who reside in San Francisco; Earl S. is married and has two children resides at Gilroy. Ruby M is the wife of Wesley W. Burden; they have two sons and Mr. Burden is manager of the Adams home place. Mr. Adams is an active member of the California Prune & Apricot Association and politically is a stanch Republican; for eighteen years he has served as trustee of the Llagas school district.
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922.
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