Adamsville is not on a mountain road or out in the desert, but a no longer existing spot in the Gila River Valley near Florence, on a paved road of the same name. This historic marker was not part of our original destination, but a nice accidental find.
This was our original destination...
Adamsville A.O.U.W. Cemetery
In 1992, there was a sign for the A.O.U.W. cemetery, but now only the posts remain. There is a barbed wire fence surrounding it with some of the wire broken. - Edith Sherwood for Internments.Net Cemetery Records Online
What is A. O. U. W. you ask? Ancient Order of United Workmen.
Charles Adams, from Ohio, started Adamsville in the 1870s. He cleared the brush and planted grain in 1866, laid out a town site and encouraged others to join him. The Overland mail stages stopped in 1871 and 1872. At its peak, Adamsville had 400 inhabitants but it was deserted and flooding waters of the Gila River washed away what remained. Only the cemetery remains on the road that bears the town's name. - Edith Sherwood for Internments.Net Cemetery Records Online
"Village dating from about 1866, on the north (South, not North) side of Gila River, 3 or 4 miles west of Florence. Located 1866 by and named for Charles Adams.
One of the first settlements in Pinal County. In 1871 name changed to Sanford for Captain George B. Sanford. 1st U.S. Cavalry, then stationed at Fort McDowell. Later Adamsville was restored. Farish says the first modern flour mill in Arizona was erected here 1868. Hinton, 1873, says: 'At Adamsville there were two stores and a mill. It is 4 miles to the Ruggles Ranch.'
According to McClintock and other writers this was rather a wild and woolly place in the early Seventies. Nick Bichard moved his steam flouring mill from the Pima village, known as Casa Blanca, to Adamsville, 1869. McClintock says: 'Known to few is the fact that a resident of Adamsville in 1869 and a clerk for Nick Bichard was John P. Young, the San Francisco journalist, early editor of the San Francisco Chronicle." P.O. established 1871, William Dupont, P.M. [postmaster]" - From Arizona Place Names
One of the first settlements in Pinal County. In 1871 name changed to Sanford for Captain George B. Sanford. 1st U.S. Cavalry, then stationed at Fort McDowell. Later Adamsville was restored. Farish says the first modern flour mill in Arizona was erected here 1868. Hinton, 1873, says: 'At Adamsville there were two stores and a mill. It is 4 miles to the Ruggles Ranch.'
According to McClintock and other writers this was rather a wild and woolly place in the early Seventies. Nick Bichard moved his steam flouring mill from the Pima village, known as Casa Blanca, to Adamsville, 1869. McClintock says: 'Known to few is the fact that a resident of Adamsville in 1869 and a clerk for Nick Bichard was John P. Young, the San Francisco journalist, early editor of the San Francisco Chronicle." P.O. established 1871, William Dupont, P.M. [postmaster]" - From Arizona Place Names
In 1996, a young man, V. Phil Hawkins, cleaned, repaired, and identified graves in the A.O.U.W. part for an Eagle Scout Project. We used his diagram and numbering system for our transcription. - Edith Sherwood for Internments.Net Cemetery Records Online
Charles Adams eventually left Adamsville for the Salt River Valley. He ended up being one of the very first settlers of what would become the city of Phoenix. This excerpt about the settlement of the Phoenix area makes mention of this fact: “In the early part of 1868 ground was prepared for cultivation, and water for irrigation was ready about March of that year, enabling a few of the settlers to harvest small crops of corn and barley during the summer. According to James M. Barney, the first fields to be put in cultivation were owned by Charles L. Adams and "Frenchy" Sawyer, the former having, some years before, been the founder of a flourishing little settlement near the Gila River, called Adamsville.” - From "History of Arizona, Vol. VI" by Thomas Edwin Farish, Arizona Historian.
“After the departure of Mr. Adams, the founder of the place, who moved to the Salt River Valley, Adamsville became the headquarters of the Bichard Brothers, well known business men of the Gila Valley, who erected a modern flouring mill at that place. The Bichards were the first traders with the Pima Villages, and about the year 1865, became the owners of a primitive flouring mill at Casa Blanca, which was destroyed in the winter of 1868 by one of the great floods which occasionally occurred in the Gila Valley. Before its destruction this mill was used to grind corn and grain furnished by the Pima Indians. The Bichards constructed a new mill at Adamsville in 1869, which was provided with the most improved machinery of that day, shipped in at great expense from the Pacific Coast, and it was called ‘The Pioneer Flouring Mill.’ This mill was the first modern flouring mill erected in the Territory.” - From "History of Arizona, Vol. VI" by Thomas Edwin Farish, Arizona Historian.
“The Arizona ‘Miner,’ in 1871, said that ‘at a spot in the Valley of the Gila, situated between Florence and Sacaton, some five years since, a pioneer named Charles Adams located a piece of ground, erected a shanty, and proceeded to divest his property of the offensive shrubbery, preparatory to the sowing of a crop of grain. The location was in the midst of a large tract of land, and soon a thriving settlement sprang up, in the center of which Mr. Adams remained. At the solicitation of his neighbors he laid out a townsite on his property, gave lots to all who wished to build, and with one accord the whole community agreed that the town should be named Adamsville.’” - From "History of Arizona, Vol. VI" by Thomas Edwin Farish, Arizona Historian.
I was rather surprised to learn from my online research of Adamsville that another geocache stop that day put us in the actual town of Adamsville, or what is left of it. Remember, most of it was destroyed by flooding waters after desertion. Two adobe buildings are on the site. Remains of more modern structures (corrals and steel buildings) are also on the site. And I'm quite sure Charles Adams did NOT plant the palm trees!
Photo of Adamsville, taken around 1871.
(from the book "The Remarkable Carlo Gentile: Pioneer Italian Photographer of the American Frontier"by Cesare Rosario Marino, Carlo Gentile. Published by Carl Mautz Publishing, 1998)
Back to the cemetery for the end, since it is where all this started. During my research I found the listing for those who are buried. If you are interested you can read it if not, hope you enjoyed another AZ history lesson.
Edith Sherwood for Internments.Net Cemetery Records Online:
Part of the area to the north of the cemetery area was incorporated into existing farm land while part of the Butte View Cemetery, an adjoining parcel of land, has since, in part, been incorporated into the A.O.U.W. cemetery area.Dr. Bertram Snyder started restoration of the area cemeteries in 1973, taking pictures, and identifying some unmarked graves. A scrapbook of his work can be found in the Pinal County Historical Society Museum in Florence. 715 S. Main Street, Florence, AZ 85232.I completed this transcription by reading the cemetery and research on Apr 10, 2005.
Adams, Fred A., b. 1844, d. 1910, father
Adams, Nettie Olga, b. 24 Feb 1874, in Philadelphia, d. 16 Sep 1895, Wife of F. A. Adams
Austin, Ruth, no dates
Bailey, Lou, d. 7 Jan 1884, 21 days, Marker says "Our babies" on north side
Bailey, Lulu, d. 10 Apr 1887, 3yr 4mo, "Our babies" on north side of marker
Bailey, W. L., d. 17 Jan 1886, age 3yr6, East side of marker with "Our Babies"
Bartleson, (Eugenia) Bogie, b. 1874, d. 1902
Bartleson, John T., b. 1834, d. 1896, "Old Adamsville" list says he was uncle of Pres. Harry S. Truman
Bartleson, Sidney A., b. 9 Dec 1868, d. 20 Jun 1911, "My husband" inscribed on top of stone
Biery, Ike, b. 1862, d. 1911, father (He was Judge Summers' Son-in-law PCHS) Masonic emblem - Inside fence with Judge H. B. Summers
Bley, Martha Jane, b. 1841, d. 1919, Grandmother (By Fred A. Adams)
Bley, William, b. 1851, d.1937, Grandfather (Nearby Fred A. Adams)
Brockway, Katherine, Esther, b. 30 Aug 1893, in Corona NY, d. 27 May 1894, in Florence AZ
Carpenter, Alfred P., d. 6 Feb 1907, 11 m., 6 days, son of L & A Carpenter, Differs from "Old Adamsville" list
Carpenter, Martha A, b. 4 Feb 1871, d. 18 Feb 1918, Birth date is different on "Old Adamsville" list
Carpenter, Mary A, d. 5 Oct 1894, 43 y., 10 m., 16 days, Wife of Fred E. Carpenter
Colton, Mattie, d. 1887, 2 y., (deteriorating wooden slab)
Crichlow, Angeline Hardwick, b. 1910, in Florence AZ (AT), d. 1997, in Roseville CA, Crichlow pioneers
Crichlow, Walter Jack, b. 1913, in Bonham TX, Crichlow pioneers
Devine, William T., d. 13 Apr 1877, 9 y. old, Son of John J. and Virginia Devine
Foreman, Richard Dewey, b. 17 May 1860 (deteriorating wooden slab inside fence)
Graham, Pauline, b. 1827, d. 1896
Guild, Edward, d. 6 Apr 1881, age 17 days, Son of W.E. and J. A. Guild, Top of stone says Little Kensie
Guild, Josephine A., b. 18 Jun 1852, d. 30 Jan 1887, wife of William E. Guild
Hardwick, Exilda May (Hocken), b. 1879, in San Francisco CA, d. 1976, in Fairborn OH, Hardwick pioneers
Hardwick, Felix Grunde, b. 1831, in Clay County MO, d. 1908, in Florence AZ, Hardwick pioneers
Hardwick, Jane (Giroux), b. 1911, in Mayer AZ (AT), d. 1996, Tucson AZ, Hardwick pioneers
Hardwick, Martha Angeline, b. 1831, in Clay County MO, d. 1896, in Florence AZ, Hardwick pioneers
Hardwick, William Robert, b. 1907, d. Phoenix, AZ, Hardwick pioneers
Hardwick, William, b. 1859, in Clay County MO, d. 1941, in Tucson AZ, Hardwick pioneers
Harvey, William M.D., b. 16 Sep 1844, d. 8 Jan 1889
Hickey, Pamela Augusta Foreman, b. 19 Dec 1866, d. 31 May 1916, (deteriorating wood slab inside fence)
Jennings, Harriet Katherine, no dates, 2 y. old, 24 days, shared stone, Jennings on one side Merritt on the other
Kentfield, W. R., b. 1832, d. 1902, "Old Adamsville" list differs
Lanoue, Camille. E., d. 3 Jan 1893, 42 y. old, "Old Adamsville" list has the name spelled Langue
LeBaron, Mariah, d. 11 Jan 1903, 35 y., 9 m., 18 days, wife of W. J. LeBaron, In memory of Mariah L wife of W. J. LeBaron
Lile, Elizabeth, d. Oct 1894, 36 y. old, wife of J. M. Lile, Broken Stone, Surname taken from "Old Adamsville" list
McGee, Chester F., b. 27 Dec 1883, d. 20 May 1933, Husband, "Old Adamsville" list says d. May 30 1933
McGee, Gertrude A., b. 11 Sep 1879, d. 10 Mar 1945, Wife. (First husband was Sidney Bartleson.)
Merritt, Thomas William, d. 1 y., 9 m., 11 days, Shared stone, Jennings on one side Merritt on the other
Michea, Carmen R., b. 16 Jul 1842, d. 25 Aug 1907, His Wife (John B. Michea)
Michea, John B, b. 25 Sep 1842, d. 18 Nov 1886, "Old Adamsville" list has John Baptiste Michea
Miller, William E., d. Apr 1, 1894 (on Dr. Snyder's list in Old Adamsville, but we found no stone for him and neither did Hawkins)
Morrell, Benny F. Morrell, b. Jun 8, 1896, d. 1897, son of Franklin Morrell
Morrell, Franklin P., d. Jun 27, 1897, age 40
Oury, Capt. Granville H., b. Mar 12 1825, d. 11 Jan 1891, Judge - District court of New Mexico. Delegate to Confederate Congress. Arizona Mounted Volunteers CSA, Territorial legislator to U. S Congress, Pioneer-Soldier-Statesman
Sharp, Isabel, b. 20 Dec 1833, d. 26 Dec 1891, mother
Stevens, Carmen Sarah, b. 19 Sep 1888, d. 26 Sep 1889, daughter of Daniel C. & Ollie N. Stevens
Stevens, Olnorah, b. 8 Mar 1858, Lexington, KY, d. 19 Jul 1893, Wife of Daniel C. Stevens
Stevens, Taylor, b. 1898, d. 24 Oct 1898, 4 m., 5 days, Infant son of Daniel C. and Mary E. Stevens
Stowe, James L., d. 1 Nov 1895, 47 y., 8 m., 14 days
Summers, H. B. Judge, b. 1823, d. 1895, Inside fence with Ike Biery
Taylor, Annie R., b. 20 Jan 1850, d. 31 Aug 1929, Mother (Nearby McGee stones)
Truman, Marene, no dates, Infant, Inside fence with Stevens' graves
*Interesting how none of the men/family names mentioned in the history of Adamsville are buried in the cemetery.
What about the supposed 3 witches that are buried there?
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