Archibald Lafayette Adams (1842 - 1914)

Born 15 May 1842 in Newberry, South Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Selia Ann (Harrison) Adams — married 3 Dec 1865 in Decatur Co., Georgia

Descendants

Died 8 Oct 1914 at age 72 in Houston, Harris, Texas, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Stephanie Adams [send private message]

Biography

Archibald was born in 1842. Archie served with the Confederate forces during the Civil War. He enlisted July 21, 1863 according to hi application for a Confederate Veterans Pension in 1910 and from the Company Muster Roll. He initially served with Cobb's Legion. His "service of record" is with Campbell's Independent Company, Georgia Siege Artillery with the rank initially of Private and then Corporal. Muster Roll indicates he served until May 1965. In early 1873, Archie, Selia, and their first four children, Spearman 7, James 6, John Quincy 3, and Thomas G. 1, moved by wagon to Houston Co., Texas. Archie's sister Susan Elizabeth and her husband John Maples also left Georgia at this time and moved to Houston Co., Texas too. Soon after arriving in Houston County, Archie began a journal. his first entry was on March 25, 1873 and the last, 24 years later, on April 27, 1897. The first entries are of concerns with crops, weather, politics and family events. He then writes about the hardships of losing crops and children getting sick, and then sick again. In Archie's words of 1895: " The man who never had the trial of settling o an unimproved tract of land to work out its value and provide for his family can possibly have only a very vague idea of what an undertaking it is. A greater undertaking because with some past and present practices the man may have the most earnest and honest intentions of paying the land out, but by some misfortune fail to come up with the last payment when due, there is a chance for him to be put off, losing improvements and all." When first arriving in Houston Co., in 1873, he and his family settled on a farm he rented near old Randolph, about 12 miles of Crockett, Texas. By 1874, the family was farming near Cochino Bayou, about 26 miles from Crockett, on a farm rented from J. D. Poole and in 1875 and 1876 on land adjacent to J. C. Zimmerman. On Dec. 9, 1878, he bought some unimproved land at High Prairies (later Volga) from Charles Stokes. The initial purchase was for about 336 acres. On Oct. 18, 1882 he sold 100 acres to T. A. Little. Archie had an active business and community life. Around 1884, Adams General Merchandise Store was opened near his farm. On several occasions he acted as an election judge. In Aug. 1890 he was a delegate to the Democratic Party Convention in Navasota and was a County Commissioner in 1891. Archie was one of the Trustees for School District 3 of Houston County in 1893. In Dec. 1886 they had a large family reunion, he sent his father Richard Fields Adams,in Camella, Georgia, $30 "to help him come to Houston County. He and half brother, Harrie arrived Dec. 17. On Dec. 23, Silas and family came. Started back to Limestone after Christmas." Richard Fields Adams stayed for about 2 years, then returned to Georgia on Nov. 13, 1888. In 1896, Archie applied for a post office to be established at the settlement of High Prairies. The name was rejected because there was already a post office with that name in Madison County. High Prairie became Volga. The town no longer exists, but a Historical Marker was placed at the site of the old church and school. The marker reads, "Site of Volga Community" Westward moving pioneers settled this area after the Civil War, attractd by good farmland, timer, and water, they established homes and called their community High Prairie. It was renamed Volga in 1897, when a post office was established in Samuel H. Knox's Store. His son, Samuel D. Knox, served as first postmaster. Although never formally platted or incoroprated, Volga was an important early community. at it's height, the settlement boasted homes, stores, a cotton gin, sawmill, school and church. An early building called Rough Edge served as a chuch and aschool until 1893, when the High Prairie Missionary Baptist Church was built. After it burned in 1905 a two-room building used for school and worship was erected, and in 1911 a new church was built. The Volga Community began to decline about 1917 after the post office was discontinued. In 198 some of the town's young men were lost in World War 1, and many Volga citizens died of the influenza epidemic. The school was consolidated with nearby communities and the church was disbanded. After 1960 some descendants of Volga pioneers returned to resettle the area. From Archie Adams Diary 1873-1897 & Volga Memory Club" On Oct. 8, 1884, a son was born to Archie and Anna that died 10 days later; the first death in the immediate family since theier arrival in Texas. It was with burial of this infant that the family cemetery was started. The Texas Historical Commission has also placed a marker at the Adams/Little Cemetery in honor of Archie Adams. The marker reads, "Archie Adams (May 15, 1842 - Oct. 8, 1914) A native of South Carolina anad a Confederate Verteran Archie Adams came to Houston County in 1873. Adams was a farmer and general store owner and also served as an election judge and county commissioner. He and his wife, Selia Anna, are buried in the family cemetery he began in 1884 with the burial of an infant son. The journal he kept from 1873 until 1897 serves as an invaluable commentary of 19th Century Life in Houston County." In June 1918, Sara Texanna, the wife of Archie & Selia's son James Fields, died of the measles. Selia took over care of her grandchildren who were also sick. Selia too came down with the measles, leading to her death. He passed away in 1914. ^[1]

Buried in Adams-Little Cemetery, Houston Co., Texas.

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Sources

No sources. The events of Archibald's life were either witnessed by Stephanie Sanchez or Stephanie plans to add sources here later.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Entered by Stephanie Sanchez, Jul 6, 2013

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Stephanie Sanchez for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Stephanie and others.