John Wheelock Adams

Narrative:

     John Wheelock Adams was born on 3 Jun 1815 in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.^8,9,10 He was born with the name John Adams Wheelock, but used the surname of his adoptive parents throughout his life.⁸
     John was adopted by Moses Adams and Ruth Perry of Holliston, apparently as an infant. His mother had died in childbirth. How they were related to him, if at all, is unknown.^6,20
     He was probably the male under age 10 listed in the household of his adoptive father, Moses Adams, in the 1820 Federal Census of Holliston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.²¹ He was probably the male age 15 to 20 listed in the household of his adoptive father in the 1830 Federal Census of Holliston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
     John moved to Rochester, New York, about 1838.²²

Moving to Rochester --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     John was named an heir in the will of Moses Adams, his adoptive father, dated 20 Nov 1849 in Holliston, in which John was left, together with the husbands of his three adoptive sisters, all his tools, lumber and stock. John and his three adoptive sisters each were to receive one fourth of all their father's real estate and remaining personal property, with the income of the real estate to go to his adoptive mother during her life.²³
     John married first Margaret Sherill Cobb, daughter of Gideon Cobb and Roxana Worden, in 1853.^11,12,13
     John and Margaret appeared on the 1855 State Census of Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, enumerated 16 Jun 1855, in the boarding house of D. M. Hall and his three children, with seven other boarders and a servant.²⁴
     John and Margaret appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, enumerated 4 Aug 1860, reporting real estate valued at $2,000. Mortimer Adams, age 10, relationship unknown, Anna Pratt, age 23, a niece, and Jenny Shaw, an 18-year-old servant, were listed as living with them.³
     John and Margaret appeared on the 1865 State Census of Rochester, Monroe Co., Massachusetts, enumerated 5 Jun 1865, reporting they lived in a frame house valued at $2,500. His mother was listed as living with them, as were Anna Pratt, a niece, and Hattie Scamp, a 16-year-old servant.²⁵
     His wife died on 19 Nov 1867.^26,11,27
     John apparently "adopted" Charles Wisner between 1865 and 1870. This seems to have not been a formal adoption, as the term "foster-father" was later used to describe his relationship to the boy.²⁸ However the boy used his foster-father's name after that, being known as Charles W. Adams, and they referred to each other as father and son the rest of their lives.
     John appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, enumerated 22 Jul 1870, as the superintendent of the truant school. His foster-son Charles was listed as living with him, as were seven teachers, cooks, and gardeners and 86 inmates. Also listed, as if his wife, was Margart Adams, age 45, but she had been dead for over two years. It appears this was in error.²⁹
     John married second Laura Bowen, daughter of Dr. Ebenezor Bowen, on 27 Apr 1875.^14,15
     John and Laura appeared on the 1875 State Census, enumerated 17 Jun 1875, reporting they lived in a frame house valued at $4,000. His adoptive son Edwin was listed as living with him, as here her daughter by her prior marriage, Lillie Klinch, a 16-year-old domestic servant, Anna Doser, and George Mason, a farm laborer.³⁰
     He was a teacher in Rochester for many years at School No. 12. When a new schoolhouse was completed in 1857 he became principal there. He became superintendent of the House for Idle and Truant Children in 1865. While teaching he specialized in history and botany.^{31,32,33,34,35}

Moving to Kansas City --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     John moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1879.^36,1
     Laura filed for divorce from John on 15 Mar 1880 in Monroe Co., Supreme Court. The divorce was evidently granted, as they do not appear together after that, and his several obituaries mention his first marriage but not this one, though hers does mention both this and her prior marriage. She continued to use the Adams surname the rest of her life.¹⁶
     John appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Kansas City, Jackson Co., Missouri, at 1109 Main St., enumerated 1 Jun 1880. His foster-son Charles was listed as living with him.³⁷
     After moving to Kansas City he invested heavily in real estate, both business and suburban property. His investments proved judicious and he became quite wealthy. He built the Adams House, opposite the Union Depot, and also owned property in Topeka, Kansas.^1,38
     After retiring from active educational work he traveled extensively and collected botanical specimens from around the world, supposedly assembling one of the most complete collection in the west at the time.¹
     John died on 5 Jun 1897 in Kansas City, Missouri, at age 82, in his apartments at the Victoria hotel, after an illness of three weeks.^17,18 He was buried on 8 Jun 1897 in Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York.¹⁹