1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Ireneus J. Adamson, a prominent and well known farmer and stock-raiser of Crawford township, Crawford county, has been familiar with this county since the days of boyhood when he trudged into its boundaries behind his father's prairie schooner. He came at a time when pioneer conditions were on every hand, and his young and plastic mind received lasting impressions from those early days. His career has been very active and useful, he has made an honorable name and has gained a fair share of this world's goods, and his place among Crawford county's honored and enterprising citizens is secure.

Mr. Adamson was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1856, being the second of the children of William C. and Hannah (Moser) Adamson. His father was a contractor and builder. He brought his family to Girard, Kansas, in 1869, and bought a deserted claim of one hundred and sixty acres not far from town. While engaged in farming he also carried on his work as a contractor, and in that capacity built the first court house of Girard and the first Presbyterian church, besides many of the stores around the square. He lived on his farm until his death, which occurred November 4, 1894, when he was at the honored and ripe age of seventy years. His wife died March 4, 1895, at the age of sixty-four years. They were the parents of seven children: Emma, who is the wife of F. S. Wolf, of Kansas City; Ireneus J.; Dr. L. P.; William H., of Laveta, Colorado; Maggie, wife of George Baker, of Laveta, Colorado; Minnie, a teacher of Trinidad, Colorado; and Anna, wife of Horace Meloy, of Calhan, Colorado.

Ireneus J. Adamson was educated in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and at the age of thirteen came to Kansas with his parents. He walked all the way from Kansas City to Girard. He worked at home on the farm until 1877, and then went to Leadville, Colorado, where he was engaged in contracting and building, and later was in the grocery and butcher business. He was in that town five years, and for two years was in Colorado Springs. In 1885 he returned to Kansas, and for the following three years farmed a place near his father's farm. He then engaged in contracting and building in Kansas City, and was there until 1900, when he purchased the old home farm and took up his residence thereon. He owns two hundred and eighty-one acres of first-class agricultural land, and engages extensively in stock-raising and general farming.

Mr. Adamson was married July 30, 1884, to Miss May La Fontaine, who was born at Joliet, Illinois, August 11, 1859, being a daughter of Damose and Lucy (Brezee) LaFontaine. Her father was in the ice business at Joliet for a number of years, and both her parents are now living with their son, the Rev. C. B. LaFontaine, at Los Angeles, California. Mrs. Adamson was a school teacher before her marriage, having taught in Grand Ridge, Illinois, and in the academy at Brooklyn, a suburb of Joliet, for six years, and was also a teacher for four years in the district schools of Crawford county. Mr. and Mrs. Adamson have the following children: Earl L., Ireneus J., Lillian May, Grace Evelyn, Paul Damose, Gladys Anna and Frank William. The family attend the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Adamson affiliates with the Modern Woodmen of America, and in politics is a stanch Republican.