| Dudley W. Adams |
| Dudley W. Adams,
horticulturist, was born in Winchendon, Mass., November
30, 1831. His father was a lumberman and lost his life
from an accident in the woods when the son was but four
years old. His mother gave him a careful home training
and an ordinary district schooling, with the addition of
an academic course before maturity, which he assisted to
secure by intervals of teaching. With the attainment of
his majority came the development of a malady all too
common in that region, and a severe cough admonished him
to leave his native state and the dangers of its climate.
Accordingly, one day in September, 1853, he might have
been seen (had there been any in the country as
witnesses) "hoofing it" from the port of
Lansing eighteen miles to the capitol of Allamakee County
in company with L. T. Woodcock. Reaching the upland near
Adams' present residence, the pilgrims ran across Scott
Shattuck and Tom Minard cutting a road through the
hazel-brush, and upon inquiring the way to Waukon they
were directed to cast their eyes to the westward where
two log huts were in sight and informed that these
constituted the object of their pilgrimage. One of these
huts was the pioneer residence of Geo. Shattuck, and the
other the "seat of justice" of Allamakee
County. As might have been expected of young men in their
circumstances they were somewhat taken aback, and
doubtless showed it; but going bravely to work they at
once began preparations for the erection of a frame store
and dwelling, which is now the National House on Main
street. The lumber was all oak and was hauled from
Smith's mill on Yellow River, where it was sawed out by
Austin Smith. A stock of goods was opened in this
building the same fall. The first sale of merchandise in
Waukon, was by Mr. Adams, a pair of boots to Ezra Reed,
Jr., from the stock while it lay in Scott Shattuck's new
frame hotel (now George Mauch's residence) awaiting the
completion of the store. He also took out the first
letter form the first mail received at Waukon, it being
one he himself had written while east after the goods,
addressed to his partner, Mr. Woodcock. Meanwhile Mr.
Adams had taken up 200 acres of government land, of which
he still owns 120, forty acres of which are now occupied
with orchards in bearing. From 1853 the growth of the
community was rapid, and Mr. Adams found many ways in
which to occupy his time to advantage, and proved himself
a most valuable acquisition to the pioneer settlement.
His services as surveyor were sought far and wide, and
two years later he was made assessor, continuing to serve
as much by successive re-election for about ten years. In
1854 he was also chosen as President of the County
Agricultural Society, organized in 1853, and nearly all
the time from that day to this has been connected with
the society in one capacity or another. In the fall of
1854 also, in company with Ed. Whitney, he began the
erection of the first and only steam saw mill here, which
was completed the following spring and continued in
successful operation for many years. It was burned down
in '56 or '57, after which he disposed of his interest
therein, although the mill was re-built. In 1856 Mr.
Adams entered upon the work of horticulture, in which he
always found great pleasure, and in after years the
"Iron Clad Nursery" of Waukon became famous for
its success where others failed. There were ten or
fifteen other nurseries started in Allamakee County at
about this time, not one of which proved profitable, and
all were abandoned amid the almost universal opinion that
fruit could not be grown in northern Iowa. During the 20
years that he continued in this business, however, Mr.
Adams established the fact beyond a doubt that it can be
very successful, with judicious selection and proper
management, and points with just pride to his
achievements in this direction under the adverse
circumstances of climate and public opinion. For
instance, in 1871, at an exhibition of the State
Horticultural Society (of which, by the way, he was for
five years the Secretary), he took the sweepstake prize,
with one hundred varieties, for the best and largest
display of apples. Again, at the State Fair in 1879, he
took the sweepstakes with 172 varieties of apples. About
1858, Mr. Adams was chosen chairman of the County Board
of Equalization. Again, in '65 or '66, he accepted an
appointment to a place on the Board of County
Supervisors, to fill a vacancy, not without reluctance,
however, as at that time there was the thankless task to
undertake of building up the county finances, which were
in a very bad way, county warrants at that time selling
at only 45 per cent. The board was evenly divided
politically, and to complicate matters and add to the
responsibility of the situation it was also divided and
equally on the then strongly local feeling between
Lansing and Waukon on the county seat question. Upon the
expiration of his short term Mr. Adams was elected to
represent his township as a member, two years later, was
again selected as chairman, without a dissenting vote. It
is but justice to add that during these times he
represented the interests of his constituents in local
matters most successfully; and it was not long ere
careful management and economy restored the full credit
of the county, which has ever since been maintained. In
1869 the first brick block in Waukon was erected, Mr.
Adams being a part owner in this, as in the first frame
store in the village. Together with his neighbors, in
1869, Mr. Adams effected the organization of Waukon
Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, the third in the state. He
discharged the duties of Master, Overseer, Lecturer, and
Secretary of this organization in 1872, he was elected
Master of that for a term of two years, in the middle of
which he was made Master of the State Grange, then
comprising over one thousand members representing eight
hundred subordinate granges which he had organized, a
fact which serves to illustrate the energy and zeal of
the man who was called upon to preside over the national
body. At that time there were but about 1,200 subordinate
granges in the United States, but at the expiration of
his term of three years there were nearly 23,000 granges
spread over nearly all the States and Territories. His
industry and tact are still further exemplified in his
persistent advocacy of the establishment of rail
communication with the outside world for Waukon, by the
Paint Creek route; his active participation in the
organization of the company; and, upon his election as
its president in 1875, his energetic propulsion of the
work to a successful realization of the hopes of the
community during the twenty years preceding. Of late
years Mr. Adams has passed his winters in a home he has
established in sunny Florida, where he made his first
purchase of land in 1875. In January 1876, he re-engaged
in his favorite occupation of horticulture in his winter
home by setting out a small grove of orange trees. Now he
is the fortunate possessor of about a thousand acres in
that state, of which 37 acres are in orange grove. Mr.
Adams was married Jan. 31, 1856, to Miss Hannah Huestis,
who has been able to co-labor in his horticultural
avocations, and an associate in his honors, having
occupied the position of Ceres in the National and State
Granges, as well as various offices in the gift of her
home subordinate grange. p. 467-469 |