WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
ORSON BENNETT ADAMS
(engineer, miner, bishop)
BIOGRAPHY
Orson Bennett Adams was born in Alexander, Genesee County, New York on March 9, 1815.Orson married Susannah "Susan" Smith in 1836 in Morgan, Illinois. They moved to Schyler, Illinois. They had three daughters and an adopted son. In 1840, the family was living in Brown, Illinois, and it was in that year that the family joined the Mormon Church. They moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where Orson helped build the Mormon temple. In 1844, Orson and Susan, who had lost two babies, were given a baby boy whose mother had died, who they adopted and raised.
Orson was the second man to join the Mormon Battalion, enlisting on July 16, 1846. Susan also went as a laundress and nurse (she had been raised in the home of Dr. Priddy Meeks). Orson was discharged on December 16, 1847.
In 1859, Orson married Charlotte Elizabeth Gingell. Orson & Charlotte had two children, but then she left him and remarried in Wyoming.
In 1861 (spring of 1862?), Orson was called to settle at the confluence of Leeds and Quail Creeks. Nine families built the new settlement called Harrisburg. A small sandstone masonry house was built in 1863 for the family, and it is still standing. The family lived in this house until the early 1890s.
In 1869, Orson became presiding elder of Harrisburg (what would now be known as bishop). In 1874, he was made treasurer of the Leeds Ward United Order. He then served again as presiding elder in Harrisburg from 1876 to 1889 and as bishop of the Harrisburg Ward from 1889 to 1891 when meetings in Harrisburg were discontinued and people then attended meetings in Leeds.
During the winter of 1870, John Kemple stayed with their family and made the famous initial discovery of silver in the surrounding reefs. Orson was one of those who filed a mining claim under the Union Mining District formed by John Kemple. When the district was reorganized in 1874, Orson was the president of the new Harrisburg Mining District (which encompassed 144 square miles with the schoolhouse at its center).
Susan died in Harrisburg on January 23, 1892 and was buried in the Leeds City Cemetery. Orson soon moved to his daughter's home in Leeds. He died there on February 4, 1901 and was buried in the Leeds City Cemetery.
FAMILY
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Orson's Parents and Siblings:
Elisha Bennett Adams Asenath Lucy Camp Adams Sally Adams Filander Adams Elisha Gillette Adams Lavinna Adams Amanda M. Adams Asenath Adams Sarah Adams Joel Madison Adams Elia Adams Orson Bennett Adams Hannah Jane Adams George Adams Joseph Adams Mary Ann Adams Hyram Adams Catherine Adams |
(5/27/1778-5/1/1845) (married 12/3/1802) (4/7/1783-8/16/1864) (xx/xx/1802-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1803-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1805-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1807-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1808-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1810-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1811-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1812-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1813-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (3/9/1815-2/4/1901) (married as shown below) (xx/xx/1818-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1819-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1821-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1825-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1827-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1829-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
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First Wife and Children: Susannah Smith Adams Mary Jane Adams Martha Jane Adams John Smith Page Adams Susannah Adams |
(5/30/1819-1/23/1892) (married 3/20/1836) (4/11/1838-8/1/1838) (2/21/1841-3/1/1841) (5/11/1844-4/19/1935) (adopted 6/28/1844; married Sarah Jane Averett and Mary Elizabeth Adair) (6/3/1853-8/8/1931) (married William Silas Harris) |
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Second Wife: Dorothy Martin Roberts Adams |
(5/1/1816-2/22/1877) (married 11/10/1856) |
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Third Wife and Children: Charlotte Elizabeth Gingell Adams Caroline Augusta Adams Oliver Randolph Adams |
(9/1/1841-2/12/1879) (married 7/21/1859) (9/10/1861-6/27/1938) (married William Dennis Dugdale and John Chester Baxter Wade) (9/29/1864-2/22/1938) (married Sarah Eardley) |
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Fourth Wife: Elizabeth Jane Carter Adams |
(xx/xx/1824-xx/xx/1883) (married xx/xx/xxxx) |
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Fifth Wife: Ann Henry Adams |
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married xx/xx/xxxx) |
PHOTOS
Orson & Susan Adams and William & Susanna Harris
REFERENCES
Orson Bennett AdamsA research report by Elaine Young, PhD.
Susannah "Susan" Smith (Wife of Orson B Adams)
A research report by Elaine Young, PhD.
Henry Adams of Braintree and his Descendants
by Terry A. Bartholomew
FamilySearch entry for Orson Bennett Adams
Find-A-Grave entry for Sgt Orson Bennett Adams
FamilySearch entry for Susannah Smith
Find-A-Grave entry for Susannah "Susann" Smith Adams
FamilySearch entry for Dorothy Martin
FamilySearch entry for Charlotte Elizabeth Gingell
Find-A-Grave entry for Charlotte Elizabeth Gingell Edmisson
FamilySearch entry for Elizabeth Jane Carter
FamilySearch entry for Ann Henry