Adams, Thomas J.

The following data is extracted from The Indian Territory, Its Chiefs, Legislators and Leading Men.

Born in February 1848, at the old Creek agency, the eldest son of William Adams, by Hepsie Perryman, niece of Louis Perryman, Thomas first attended school at Tallahassee Mission, in 1852, and, later, moved to Asberry Mission. In 1861 he married Miss Mahalya Grayson, daughter of Betsy Grayson. During the war he was detailed by the Federal government to the commissary department as distributor of beef to the various camps. In 1866, when the war ended, he was elected to the House of Warriors, which office he has held until the present, over twenty-five years. Few, if any members, of that house can boast of such a record. In 1885 Mr. Adams was elected Speaker of the House, which office he held for four years. Since 1867 the subject of our sketch has been practicing law in all the courts of the Creek Nation. He is also on the board of trustees of the New Yarker Mission School. Mr. Adams had fourteen children, eleven of whom are living, Isaac, Wash, Betsy, Thomas, Hepsie, Lewis, Lee, Mitchell, Lizzie, and Mary. He has about 600 head of cattle, 40 or 50 head of horses, 40 sheep, and some 150 hogs, besides a good farm of seventy-five acres of land. On his ranch is a good dwelling house, out-houses, stables, and every other possible convenience. Mr. Adams is considered one of the brightest lawyers among the Creeks, and is a successful politician, having, in fact, no superior among his people in bringing about such ends as he wishes to accomplish. He is about six feet one inch high, weighs 198 pounds, and physically, very powerful. He is energetic to accomplish an undertaking, and is very popular with his constituency.

Source: The Indian Territory, Its Chiefs, Legislators and Leading Men

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