Daughter of Conrad and Adalbertha Bergmann Adam
Category Archives: Adam
52 Ancestors – #6: Willie Eugene Adam
While catching up on some genealogy reading, I discovered Amy Johnson Crow’s blog No Story Too Small: Life is Made of Stories. In January she challenged everyone to take the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks challenge. I’m a little late but have taken the challenge!
In 1911 at the age of 18, Willie purchased 240 acres from his father, Julius Adam. He bought the land for $3000.00 with $500.00 down and a balance of $2500.00 to be paid in fifteen years with 6 percent interest. The land was just “across the field” from his parents on the San Antonio-Fredericksburg Road, old Highway Number 9. The back side of the property ended at the Balcones Creek. According to family stories, the property included a two-story house which needed repairs. Julius purchased this property from George N. Lytle and his wife in 1909.
Willie raised on his parent’s farm was a hard worker. My guess is he wanted his own place but that’s a lot of land and debt for an 18-year-old. His experience working on his parent’s farm to market farm must have helped him. Willie pursued farming until he was drafted in 1918 and was sent to France. Upon his return, he married Lillie Katherine Schuetz from Kendalia on 7 June 1919. Willie repaired the house, removed the top story and made it ready for his new bride. Together Willie and Lillie operated a farm-to-market and dairy farm until 1955. Kendall County, Texas, Deed Book 27 p: 48-49, Willie Adam and Julius Adam, 21 December 1911; County Clerk’s Office, Boerne.
Kendall County, Texas. Deed Book 27: 48-49, Julius Adam and Willie Adam, 11 December 1918; County Clerk’s Office, Boerne.
“All those certain two tracts of land on Balcones Creek, in Kendall County, Texas, being parts of the San Antonio Cruz League and Labor of land. Original Survey No. 170. And described as follows: First, Seventy (70) acres of land of said survey sold by Geo. N. Lytle and wife to Julius Adam by deed dated 12 February 1909 and recorded in Vol. 25, page 5 of the Kendall County Deed records and which Deed contains the field notes…Second, One hundred and seventy (170) acres of said Survey comprising lots and parts of lots numbered Twenty three (23) Twenty six (26) Twenty Seven (27) Thirty (30) Thirty one (31 thirty four (34) and Thirty Five (35) according to plat made by James S. Trueheart and being the same land sold to Julius Adam by Geo. N. Lytle and his wife by deed dated 2nd April 1909. Total 240 acres of land.”
Sentimental Sunday
While looking through my parents photograhs for snow pictures for a Dietert Archives Project, I discovered this photo. The date on the back is December 1957. I’m thinking this is the first time I saw snow and there was enough to build a nice size snowman! So to family and friends in Indiana where it is snowing with windchill temps in the negative numbers, I just want to say “Just look, it does snow in the Texas Hill Country!”
Stay warm!
Sentimental Sunday: Julius and Willie Adam
Julius is driving the wagon loaded with corn. Willie looks like he is enjoying the ride.
Picture taken outside the yard of the Julius Adam home in the Balcones Community.
World War I Draft Registration for the Adam Brothers
World War I Draft Registration Cards are on file at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington DC. If a trip to Washington DC is out of the question, you can subscribe to Ancestry.com and read them any time. The copies are not the best but still readable. I searched for my grand-uncle Eugene Conrad Adam and my grandfather Willie Eugene Adam.
I have transcribed as much of the hazy blur as I could.
Eugene Conradt [sic] Adam; from Boerne, Texas; age 20; born June 1, 1898; white; farmer; employed by Julius Adam, Boerne, Texas; next of kin Julius Adam, RFD #1, Boerne, TX, he signed his name as Eugene Conrad Adams; medium height; build ?; eyes blue; hair brown; Registered by Elmer Watts on Sept 12, 1918
Willie Eugene Adam; age 24; Boerne, Texas; Born March 23, 1893; natural-born citizen; place Boerne, Texas; Farmer; next of kin, Julius Adam, Boerne, TX; no children; single; caucasian; signed Willie E. Adam; Tall; Medium build; light blue eyes; Med. Brown Hair; H. O. Adler; Precinct #1, Kendall Co, Texas, June 5, 1917; Aug. Langbein
The House that Conrad Adam Built
In 1959 my great grandmother, Ida Adam, moved to the Golden Age Nursing Home in Boerne. She sold the house that Conrad Adam built to the Thompsons. Mrs. Thompson was interested in the history of the place and created a large display with pictures and text. The fuzzy orange pictures are copies of the ones she placed in the display along with the text.
Conrad Adam home
Picture taken in 1898 when home was owned by his son Julius Adam
“Home built by Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Adam in 1873. Mr. William Schoenert contracted to build the house which took him one year. He was paid one dollar a day and board. Mr. Schoenert later married the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Adam, daughter Emilie.
The house has four bedrooms three upstairs with plenty of storage space and one downstairs. The bedroom downstairs measures 15’x18’ with 11’ceiling. When the house was built the living room measured 15’x17’ 8” with 11’ ceiling. There is a fireplace in it. There is a bath on both floors.
Small room added after original kitchen made of wood was torn away (by Julius Adam) room divided equally into four small rooms. The cistern which was on a porch outside the original kitchen was enclosed in the N.W. corner room and was used for cream separator and milk utensils, S.E. corner room was used by Mrs. Adam for sewing room; S.E. corner room was used for entrance on east side; S.W. corner room was the bathroom. The original [?} Was more narrow but the same length as the rebuilt room, and was entered through an enclosed passage way from the dining room, and was entered through an enclosed passage way from the dining room, double doors were on both east and west sides of the passage way. The dining room was used for kitchen by Adam family.
East view of smokehouse. The slot in the wall was used to rest guns in guarding off Indians. The round hole in the gable is where a pipe came from the stove in the wash room. The outer toilet was built by WPA on 6 May 1935.”
Taken from plaque made by Mrs. Thompson who bought house from Ida Adam in 1959.
House served as a stage-coach stop for many years. The drivers would use a trap door in the roof to look for Indians.”
Commissioner Court Minutes January term 1867
Commissioner Court Minutes for a county can give tidbits of information about the people who lived there. For example, I read in the January 1867 Kendall County Commissioner Court Minutes that Conrad Adam was an overseer for the upkeep of Road 1 in Kendall County. Who knew? Since there wasn’t a TXDOT in 1867 the men who lived along the road were to keep the part of the road where they lived in good repair. If everyone did their part, then travelers could easily travel down the road. I also learned that Conrad must have been able to speak English fairly well since not all of his road hands were of German descent. Some of the men who were road hands were not on the 1870 Kendall County Census which was taken three years later. I have listed their names at the end of the post.
Commissioner’s Court Minutes January Term 1867
“The Court proceeded to make appointments for road overseers and to designate the hands liable to work under the resp. overseers; for Precinct No. 1 there was appointed:
Conrad Adam, overseer for Road No. 1
commencing on Balcones crossing of San Antonio Boerne Road, following said Road to Cibolo crossing inclusive.
Hands: Christ. Humbold, Chs. Dienger, J. G. O’Grady, H. W. Topperwein, Ferd. Topperwein, Anton Bergmann, R. Westmoore, A. H. Barter, John Hermann, Chs. Cole, F. V. Henderson, W. V. Henderson, Nelson & George (freedmen)
William Kuhfuss, overseer for Road No. 2
commencing on Cibolo crossing exclusive, following the Boerne – Fredericksburg Road to Joshua crossing inclusive
Hands: Matth Baumann, Aug. Staffel, J. Nagelus, Christ. Jacob, Dei Sheridan, Jac. Theis, Jac. Gass, Henry Wendler, C. H. Clauss, Franz Schaeffer, H. G. Froebel, H. Baumberger, G.A. Topperwein, E. Reed, Jefferson, freedman, John Werner, Ferd. Lohmann, Ant. Koch, Rich. Street /freedm/ Ferd. Harz
Frederic Werner, overseer for Road No. 3
commencing at J. Saner’s residence in the town of Boerne following the Boerne Sisterdale Road to the crossing of Waspe [sic] Creek (exclusive)
Hands: Jul. Fabra. Ign. Minich, R. Brotze, Chas. Adam, Ad. Zoeller, Aug. Pfeiffer jun. W. Pfeiffer, Ernest Pfeiffer, Reinhold Kutzer, Dan. Meckel, Chs. Meckel, Fred. Meckel, Stewart, J. D. Johns
W. Vogt, roadoverseer for Road No. 4
commencing at the public square of the town of Boerne, following the Boerne – Curry’s Creek Road to the Guadalupe crossing at Aman’s place (exclusive)
R. Willke, H. Dietert, Jos Philipp, Jul. Philipp, F. Vanderstraten, F. Boehm, Aug. Vogt, Fred. Haag, Adolph Haag, Gottf. Hauffler, W. Hein, H. Spangenberg
J. F. Stendebach, overseer for Road No. 5
commencing at Cibolo crossing (exclusive) in the town of Boerne following the road towards Dripping Spring to the place where the road intersects the boundary line of the County
Hands: M. Schwarz, F. Schwarz, Bill Logan and son(freedmen) Dimas Huimizo, [B.] Dane, R. Lincoln, Jaco. Dedecker, J. Kraft, H. Scheele.
John Moser, roadoverseer for Precinct, No. 3 and Road No. 6
commencing at the crossing of Waspe[sic] in the Boerne-Sisterdale Road, following said Road and further on from Sisterdale towards Fredericksburg to the boundary line of the County.
Hands: C. Hoffarth, H. Magers, W. Magers, Chs Seewald, Alf Kapp, Rud. Wipprecht, Q. Bunsen, H. Carstanjen, Otto Neuber, J. Siebeneicher,
Charles Beseler, roadoverseer from Prect. No. 3 Road No. 7
commencing at Joshua crossing (exclusive) in Boerne-Fredericksburg Road following said road to the boundary line of the County
Hands: Mc Cluer, D. M. Davis, H. L. Mims, K. Ellis and son, R. B. Wilson, G. Nichols jun. Th. H. Manning, J. W. Manning, John Brown, L. W. Howell
Henry Boerner, roadoverseer for Pct. No. 4, Road No. 8
commencing at the fork of Boerne-Fredericksburg and Boerne-Comfort Road following the road last mentioned to the town of Comfort.
Hands: Alb. Beversdorff, Aug. Beversdorff, Chs. Bonnet, Sam. Ridley (fdmn), Doob, (fdm.) Henry Weber, Justus Sickenius, A. Lieck, A. Faltin, Chs. Kerger, G. Holekamp, F. Spenarth, M. Lindner, Chr Flach, L. Strohacker, V. Pfeuffer, H. Harms, Johns Stecher, G. Moorhoff, Rob. Schladeur, Henry Heinen, E. Serger, P. Hanish, John Hoerner, Jos. Lamm, A. Bohnert, J. Pankratz, Th. Wiedenfeld. O. Brinkmann, W. Heuermann.
The Clerk was ordered, to issue writs to all & each of the above named roadoverseers according to law.”
Road hands not on the 1870 Kendall County Census are: H. W. Topperwein, Ferd. Topperwein, R. Westmoore, F. V. Henderson, W.V. Henderson, Nelson & George (freedmen), J. Nagelus, Christ. Jacob, Die Sheridan, H. Baumberger, E. Reed, Stewart, W. Hein, H. Spangenberg (murdered 1868), F. Schwarz, Bill Logan and son (freedmen), Dimas Huimio, R. Lincoln, C. Hoffarth, Alf. Kapp, Rud. Wipprecht, Q. Bunsen, McCluer, D. M. Davis, H. L. Mims, K. Ellis and son, J. W. Manning, Sam. Ridley (freedman), Doob (freedman), Justus Sickenius, A. Lieck, Johns Stecher, Henry Heinen.
Texas. Kendall County. Commissioner’s Court Minutes Book 1, pages 67-69.
Adam-Hurst, Kathryn. 1870 Federal Census for Kendall County, Texas. Boerne,TX: The Genealogical Society of Kendall County, 1997.
Kendall County Grand Jurors for 1864
July 18th 1864
“At a special meeting of the county court held this day the following officers were present Hon Jos. Graham Chief Justice Commissioners Adam Vogt, C. Rhodius, M. Lindner E G Krissner(?). The proceedings of the last meeting were read and approved. The court then proceeded to select the following persons as Grand Jurors for 1864.”
Conrad Adam
A. H. Bartor
F. Doebbeler
Wm Ditret [sic] Dietert?
C. Flach
B. Hagamann
Johns Moses
F. Perner
L. Strotucker
Joseph Tate
Antone Bohnert
Charles Bergstrom
Charles Dinger
Wm Edge
C. Hoffarth
F. Hartz
James M. Patton
F. Sauer
John F. Stendebach
Augt Vogt
Texas. Kendall County Commissioners Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 35.
Formation of Boerne Cemetery, Kendall County, Texas
Boerne
January 28, 1867
“The undersigned inhabitants of Boerne and neighbourhood oblige themselves to the payment of the following amounts set opposite to their resp. names on the purpose to survey, to fence in etc. a common burring ground, lieing on the San Antonio-Fredericksburg Road above Mr. Joe Saner’s place, which has been granted by Hon. Adam Vogt.
Everybody, who pays $2.00 in specie, will be entitled to a space of 9 feet long and 4 1/2 feet wide for reserved or families graves.
The payment must be made on or before the thirtieth day of April next to the Secretary of the Committee, H. G. Froebel.”
Joe Saner, Sr, $5.00
C. Hugo Claus, $6.00
A. Zoeller, $5.00
H. Wendler, $5.00
Jacob Theis,$2.00
J. F. Stendebach,$10.00
Chris. Humbolt, $5.00
Gottlieb Stephan, $6.00
H. Holekamp?,$3.00
Carl Adam , $2.00
Henry Dietert ,$2.00
Aug. Pfeiffer, Sr., $5.00
Ph. J. Theis, $4.00
W. Dietert , $10.00
I. Minnich,$5.00
Conrad Adam, $5.00
Ferdinand Harz, $2.00
W. Vogt, $4.00
K. Dienger, $4.00
August Staffel $25.00
H.G. Froebel, $4.00
Mrs. Caroline Dienger, $5.00
Wm. Kuhfus, $2.00
P. Werner, $4.00
C. H. Woff Maeson?, $2.00
G. A. Toepperwein, $2.00
Ph. Zoeller, $5.00
C. Theis,$2.00
F. Schaeffer, $3.00
J. D. Johns, $2.00
C. I? Stewart, $2.00
C. Aman, $5.00
Geo. Wilkins Kendall, $25.00
A total of $178.00 was collected by H. G. Froebel.
(Boerne, Kendall County, Texas). Historic Texas Cemetery marker; personally read 2011.
Sentimental Sunday: The Adam Boys 1929
Two brothers working hard on the farm!
Adam, Chester and Jimmie 1929. Photograph of the original held by Jimmie Adam. Digital copy privately held by Kathryn Adam-Hurst. Boerne.
