Samuel Lorenzo Adams

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY     (Washington County, Utah)

SAMUEL LORENZO ADAMS

(early St. George resident, blacksmith)

BIOGRAPHY

Samuel Lorenzo Adams was a successful blacksmith from the time he came to Utah in 1852 until his death in 1910. He established the first blacksmith shop in St. George in 1864 and made many contributions to the growth of St. George and the surrounding areas.

Adams had many accomplishments. He established the first flour mill and the first cotton gin used in southern Utah. He invented a nail making machine that produced nails used in the first buildings in St. George. This nail making machine can still be seen at the Daughter of Utah Pioneers Museum.

Samuel hand forged components for building construction that can still be seen today, such as the "S" braces used in the old County Court House and the chandeliers that were used in the Opera House for many years.

He also built the first horse drawn hearse in St. George. It was made from forged iron and wood. This hearse was used for many years and was used to take Adams to his own grave. It was used until a motor powered hearse was bought.

Iron work was very difficult in those days. Samuel had to mine and smelt the iron ore that he then hand forged with hammer & anvil into usable shapes. He told many stories about trips to the Grand Gulch Mine and encounters with Indians and other hazards along the way.


FAMILY

Parents and Siblings:
    John Adams
    Eleanor Danks Adams
        Eleanor Adams
        John Adams
        Samuel Lorenzo Adams
        Mary Ann Adams

(4/16/1800-5/7/1865)   (married 7/23/1827)
(xx/xx/1802-4/12/1841)
(7/16/1828-1/15/1899)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(9/13/1830-4/3/1911)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(1/22/1833-2/15/1910)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(5/11/1835-10/20/1913)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)

First Wife and Children:
    Emma Jackson Adams
        Eleanor Jackson Adams
        Emma Jennet Johnson Adams  
        Samuel Lorenzo Adams
        Elizabeth Jane Adams
        Henrietta Adams
        John Henry Adams
        Minerva Adams
        George Edwin Adams
        Alfred Williams Adams


(12/6/1830-5/9/1855)   (married 2/5/1852)
(8/3/1853-7/25/1920)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(8/3/1853-9/9/1854)
(11/5/1856-11/10/1910)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(2/8/1858-3/10/1948)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(11/3/1859-12/23/1940)   (married Richard Alexander Morris)
(7/15/1863-6/26/1865)
(3/10/1865-6/27/1865)
(5/17/1866-8/23/1867)
(7/21/1868-5/5/1879)

Second Wife and Children:
    Mary Ann Morgan Adams
        Thomas Henry Adams
        William Morgan Adams


(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married 10/10/1863)
(9/11/1864-12/24/1945)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(3/22/1868-9/12/1946)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)

Third Wife and Children:
    Almira Lucinda Jackson Adams
        Emma Jesse Adams
        Elmo Adams
        Lois Alta Adams


(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married xx/xx/xxxx)
(10/13/1886-1/31/1948)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(7/20/1889-1/24/1950)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(10/13/1902-2/24/1903)


PHOTOS

Samuel Lorenzo Adams

WCHS photos:
WCHS-02612   Photo of a horse drawn hearse built by Samuel Lorenzo Adams


PUBLICATIONS

Early Day Reminiscences
by Samuel L. Adams
Juvenile Instructor Magazine, Volume 1, Page 379

Missionary Incidents
by Samuel L. Adams
Juvenile Instructor Magazine, Volume 30, 1861, Page 301

A String of Pearls
by Samuel L. Adams
Instructor Magazine

Gifts of the Gospel
by Samuel L. Adams
Improvement Era, Volume 2, 1899-1900

There is a Life Beyond
by Samuel L. Adams
Improvement Era, 1899-1900

A Night of Horror
by Samuel L. Adams
Juvenile Instructor, 1907

Letter to the Editor of the Deseret News
Enclosed find an article of an incident that took place in St. George, Utah in 1872
Sincerely, Samuel Lorenzo Adams


REFERENCES

Samuel Lorenzo Adams and Wives (Emma Jackson, Mary Ann Morgan, Almira Lucinda Jackson)
by Clara Goates Beus

A Biography of Samuel Lorenzo Adams
by LaRee McAllister Jones

A coloring book for young descendants of Samuel Lorenzo Adams
Written my Mary LaRee McAllister Jones and illustrated by Jean Jones
Produced for the Samuel Lorenzo Adams descendant's reunion in 2014

A Brief History of Samuel L. Adams - The Beginnings of Adams Welding and Ornamental Iron

Genealogy of Samuel Lorenzo Adams

Sandi Martin's blog story of Samuel Lorenzo Adams

My Great, Greats in Washington County 1854-1863: A Talk by Ron Bracken
Stories about Samuel Adams start at 41:37 into the 58-minute talk.

Song
composed and sung by Samuel Lorenzo Adams at the dedication of the Brigham Young Monument in Salt Lake

February 15, 1883 letter from Samuel Lorenzo Adams to John M. Macfarlane
    ( click here for a higher resolution version)

FamilySearch entry for Samuel Lorenzo Adams

Find-A-Grave entry for Samuel Lorenzo Adams