Button Family in America

THE ADAMS FAMILY.--Captain Lyman Adams was a native of Lenox, Mass., and a nephew of Dr. William Willard, his mother being a sister of the doctor; and through the solicitation of the latter he moved from Tinmouth, Rutland County, Vt., in the spring of 1808, arriving at Tioga on the 4th day of July, accompanied by his wife and five daughters--Anna, Susan, Sophia, Phebe and Lucy. He settled first in a house of Dr. Willard's near the Willard mill, on the race. In the years 1809 and 1810 he was collector of taxes for the township of Tioga, comprising at that time two-fifths of the entire county. He subsequently moved on to what was for many years termed the Adams farm, now that of Nelson Miller, occupying a house on the east bank of the river, and opposite the high ridge on the west ascending to the Bayer Hill; a very pleasant spot, and surrounded by several fine, large peach trees, which from the fact of their absence nearly everywhere else in the township were rendered the more noticeable and valuable. Captain Adams subsequently moved to Wellsboro, and kept there for some time a public house, it appears, as late certainly as 1825, and perhaps 1826. His daughter Jane was born in Wellsboro, March 7th 1825; and his daughter Maria was married by Justice Benajah H. Ives to G.R. Lillibridge, on Monday evening May 7th 1827, at her father's house in Tioga village; this places the removal of the family from Wellsboro to Tioga between the two periods above named. His old homestead place on the river bank, containing 176 acres, was sold by John Beecher, sheriff, as "late the property of Lyman Adams, Pliny Power and Jeremiah Brown," on December 18th 1826. Captain Adam's village home continued in his possession and that of his son Hiram up to the construction of a new building in place of it, and finally its sale to R.P.H. McAllister, about 1865 or 1866, and Hiram's removal to his farm on Bear Creek.

Captain Adams was born at Lenox, Mass., April 12th 1775, and died of heart disease June 27th 1847. His wife, Sophia, who was a sister of Thomas Mantor, was born April 21st 1782, and died July 1st 1868; and both are buried in the Mill Creek Cemetery. They had children: Anna (Mrs. Augustus Niles), Susan (Mrs. Lorain Lamb), Sophia, spinster; Phebe (Mrs. Amos Utley), Lucy (Mrs. Sullivan Powers), Maria (Mrs. G. R. Lillibridge), Lyman N. (Husband of Caroline A. Mantor), Julia (Mrs. Samuel Naglie), Jane (Mrs. Edwin Crane), Hiram (husband of Maria Naglie), and Mary (Mrs. Dr. A.J. Cole).

Anna is still living, and resides with her son A.E. Niles, at his farm on the river, one and a half miles south of the village, and apparently is enjoying excellent health. Her memory of events in Tioga goes back to 1808, the time of her father's settlement here, at which date she was a little over then years of age. The family stopped first at the house of Dr. William Willard, and she remembers distinctly the style of it. She was born March 6th 178. Her sister Mrs. Lorain Lamb was born June 27th 1800, and both she and her husband are living at Mansfield, in good health. Sophia, born February 18th 1803, died May 9th 1852; Phebe died December 16th 1874, aged 68 years, her husband October 13th 1844, aged 42 years, and Wells Utley, their son, February 6th 1864, aged 38 years; Lucy (Mrs. Powers) died in 1881, at Alpena, Mich.; Maria died many years ago at Ann Arbor, Mich.; Lyman N. died November 13th 1880, in his 65th year; his widow and a son and daughter, Frank H. and Mary are living. Jane Crane died at Williamsport, in December 1881, aged nearly 57 years. William and Mrs. Mary Cole both reside at Mansfield; Mrs. Naglie near Towanda, Pa.; and Hiram at Tioga. Sophia and Lyman N. are buried in the Mill Creek Cemetery, as also Mrs. Utley and her husband and son.