Uri Adams

Rochester Era
9 Jan 1879
Uri Adams, whose death is announced in another place was born in East Bloomfield, N.Y. Nov 22^nd 1807. In the fall of 1825 his father Mark Adams came to the Territory of Michigan, and took up 240 acres of Government land. In the spring of 1826 the entire family bade farewell to their Eastern home and turned their faces to the then far west.

The entire time of the trip is not known but they were nearly three days in coming from Detroit to Rochester, where although human beings were few, they were warmly welcomed millions of eager mosquitoes. The first Sabbath was spent in a one-roomed shanty on the Clinton River near the present site of Barnes Brothers’ Paper Mill. This shanty was owned by Gad Norton an old neighbor who had preceded them from East Bloomfield.

At that time Rochester was a gathering place for Indians who fished in the Clinton River. At the time of his death Mr. Adams was living with his third wife. In the year 1828 he married Mary Farrington, a lady of unusual intelligence, and sterling piety; the daughter of Aaron Farrington, a prominent pioneer from Herkimer Count, New York. She died of consumption in 1837.
Mary Badger was the name of his second wife, who lived until 1861.

For his third wife he married Eliza J. Warner, the daughter of a well known and respected resident of Wayne County, near Plymouth. Although for many years previous to his death, Mr. Adams was an invalid her faithful care was unremitting to the end.

In these days of Reform Clubs, it may not be amiss to state his advocacy of the temperance cause. He took the stand that total abstinence meant abstinence from all that would intoxicate, including wine and cider. In this view he stood alone, being opposed by the best men in the community. This was true also of anti-slavery. It is simple justice to say that he was in advance of his time. Old men recall many a stormy discussion upon these great reforms, when his voice uttered no uncertain sound. He was often threatened with personal violence. Ministers of the Gospel plead with him to be more guarded in the expression of his sentiments it would not do to “go so far”. A few years passed and their eyes were opened to see that he was right and they wrong.

In the year 1844 he was appointed Territorial justice of the Peace. In this position he won popularity and respect. It is said that during the four years that he thus served the people, not a single decision of his was ever reversed by a higher court.
In these early days he was a man of positive opinions, a man of piety, a man of mark. Unfortunately, (to human vision) he embraced religious views differing widely, in some respects, from those of his associates and friends. Clear headed and logical upon other subjects, his advocacy of his peculiar views, in the opinion of many, became a monomania. This naturally impaired his influence and affected his social position. Here too, it is but just to state that his belief in the Bible as the word of God was absolute and unquestioning, and the united testimony of those who knew best proved his sincerity beyond a doubt.

He died and is buried – Noble qualities all who knew him can recall. Let the mantle of Christian charity fall softly between him and all other memories.
 
Submitted byBill Kemp (March 2007)