Adair, Apache County, Arizona Territory

Pictured above at the Adair Cemetery: Daniel Adair, Amber Adair, and Darrell Adair. Pictured below is Delbert Adair Jr.

Adair, or Adairville, was a Mormon settlement established in 1878 in what was then Apache County of Arizona Territory. It was located about three miles north-west of Show Low. This area became Navajo County on March 21, 1895. Arizona officially became a state February 14, 1912.

Adair was founded by Wesley Adair and his brother Thomas Jefferson Adair Jr., and Thomas' wife Mary Vance. Wesley and Thomas are the sons of Thomas Jefferson Adair and Rebecca Brown. Wesley was a member of Company C of the Mormon Battalion. Mary Vance is the daughter of Adam Vance and Catherine Penrod.

The Adair family built a home about one fourth of a mile from Show Low Creek. Soon, other families came and settled on the hills and in the valley. It was a beautiful county but had a limited water supply. The settlers cleared the ground and grew corn and sugar cane taller than a man. They also grew wheat, beans, and other vegetables.

Many of the Adairs and other families left the area to move to Show Low and surrounding regions. Aaron Adair lived on the place for some years after that and was told "nobody but a fool would try to make a living there" (Barnes, 1988, p. 9) The settlement was renamed "Fools Hollow" and is now the site of Fools Hollow Lake. All traces of Adair are gone now except for the cemetery. The cemetery is in Show Low, Arizona 85901. It is located about one mile east of Fools Hollow Lake, at the end of 22nd Avenue and Old Linden Road. Directions to the Adair Cemetery are head North on 22nd Ave off of Old Linden Road in Show Low. Go to the last driveway and turn right. Proceed on that driveway until reaching the cemetery. The cemetery is about 100 meters off of 22nd Avenue.

Etta Colvin, who died of smallpox, was the first person to be buried at Adair Cemetery in February, 1883. The Cemetery was fenced by the Show Low Ward on March 13, 1923. John Lorenzo Willis was Bishop and leader of the project. When the cemetery was fenced, Willard & Emma Whipple, Edson & Rowena Whipple, Daniel & Sarah Mills, Mary Ann McNeil, Mary Stock, Lucinda Reidhead, James Clark Owens, and others, identified the graves, and some information was gathered. In 1954, Fred L. and Emma H. Adams were assigned to gather additional information. (Records of Emma Hansen Adams)

A new chain link fence was put up years later. Emma contacted relatives of the deceased for money, which people were willing to donate. Today there is a monument with a glass case with an alphabetical list of names, birthdates, and deathdates of those buried at Adair Cemetery. It is interesting to note that there are not any individuals with the Adair surname buried at Adair Cemetery. As mentioned earlier, many of them moved to other surrounding areas.

According to the History of the Show Low Stake, Edmund Ellsworth who led the first handcart company of saints across the plains, and his wife Mary Ann Jones lie side by side here. Below is a list of those laid to rest at the Adair Cemetery.

References:

Barnes, Will C. (1988). Arizona Place Names. The University of Arizona Press.

Records of Emma Mylisa Hansen Adams. Adair- 1879 Apache County, Territory of Arizona. A copy of the records are in the possession of Delbert Adair Jr.

Firm As the Mountains: A History of the Show Low Arizona Stake. Published by the Show Low Arizona Stake. Larson Memorial Public Library Pinetop, Arizona.

Buried at Adair Cemetery

David Henry Adams 1885-1889

Fanny Dicy Adams 1887-1899

Ida Adams 1883-1883

Maggie Myrtle Adams 1883-1889

Martha Louise Devey Adams 1859-1993

Marie Aliza

Sister Berge

Ann Lucille Buck 1937-1993

Charles Spencer Burk 1882-1957

Jessie Roselle Burk 1896-1951

Joel Fredrick Burk 1891-1910

Mary Magdeline Mcfate Burk 1860-1918

Milton Alfauren Burk 1852-1920

Carter (an old man)

Collins (girl)

Etta Jane Colvin 1872-1884

Abner Ellsworth 1857-1936

Alvin Ellsworth 1898-1906

Betsy Ann Merrill Ellsworth 1866-1951

Cecil Lovell Ellsworth 1901-1911

Edmond Lovell Ellsworth 1819-1893

Mary Ann Jones Ellsworth 1836-1925

Merrell Ellsworth 1910-1939

Parley Ellsworth 1902-1905

Willford Ellsworth 1892-1918

Zina Ellsworth 1908-1919

Mary Flake 1906-1906

George Clarence Freestone 1885-1886

Louis Frederick Freestone 1885-1886

Carrie Ellsworth Hall 1890-1971

Maynard Hall 1887-1913

Harvey Fuller Hansen 1893-1894

Julie Sabin Hansen 1888-1888

Olive Adelaide Lexton Hansen 1875-1904

William Hansen 1901-1904

Annie L. Jaeger 1906-1995

Jerome A. Jaeger 1904-1979

Adelaide Atkin Laxton 1833-1915

Israel Pickern Laxton 1868-1936

Margaret Melba Laxton 1917-1918

William Laxton 1817-1890

Carol Jane Lewis 1943-1943

Elbert J. Lewis 1932-1992

Geraldine Ozment Lewis 1932-1981

Jessica Nicole Lewis 1995-1995

Marion (child)

James Hibbert McNeil 1885-1886

Olive Lizzie McNeil

William Smith McNeil 1892-1892

Alonzo Clark Merrill 1831-1906

Charles Merrill 1891-1893

Eliza Jane Bird Merrill 1841-1916

William Alonzo Merrill 1887-1954

Ben Mills 1899-1899

Charles Henry Mills 1885-1885

Betta Hareup Morgan

James Muse

Frank Ludwig Nikolaus Jr. 1893-1910

Frank Ludwig Nikolaus Sr. 1856-1927

Mary Elizabeth Laxton Nikolaus 1870-1916

Christena Luella Oliver 1872-1883

Eliza Jane Oliver 1883-1883

Harrison Oliver 1884-1887

Lucinda Adeline Oliver 1884-1884

William Temple Oliver 1833-1909

May Owens

Lee Ephraim Penrod 1887-1928

Vilate Whipple Penrod 1868-1891

Kay Power 1949-2005

Tanner Lee Power 1981-1990

Aldean Savage 1894-1906

Alonzo William Savage 1884-1922

Charles Thomas Savage 1864-1932

Elenour Caroline Hall Savage 1873-1912

James Wayne Savage 1939-1993

Lettie Savage 1886-1886

Mary Eliza Savage 1879-1890

Rillie Savage 1859-1900

Mattie Jo Sears 1927-2005

Will Spoonseller

Edward Stock 1822-1906

Mary Kirby Stock 1850-1931

Effie Echo Tenney Whipple 1887-1914

Edson Whipple 1855-1933

Hyrum Hanford Whipple 1871-1949

John Lowell Whipple 1894-1920

Joseph Whipple 1885-1885

Laura Whipple 1855-1897

Lavina Whipple 1886-1888

Lester Whipple 1911-1911

Levi Lisk Whipple 1892-1908

Oliver Whipple 1898-1898

Rowena Whipple 1899-1900

Rowena McFate Whipple 1867-1942

William Whipple 1890-1918

Chloe Wood 1878-1886

Mahala Wood ?-1886

Peter Nathaniel Wood 1885-1886

Rebecca W. Turner Workman 1834-1885

John R. Young 1882-1933

Laura Young 1895-1895

Mary Emily Young 1898-1898

Mary Louise Nikolaus Young 1896-1977

Rosy May Young 1916-1917

Thelda Louise Young 1919-1933

Wiliam Alma Young 1892-1894

William Alma Young 1849-1914

Relationship of some individuals above and myself:

Ida Adams: 2nd cousin 3 times removed. Common ancestors are Thomas Jefferson Adair and Rebecca Brown.

Lee Ephraim Penrod: 1st cousin 3 times removed. Common ancestors are William Lewis Penrod and Polly Ann Young.

William Alma Young (1849-1914): 3rd great grand uncle. Common ancestors are James Agee Smith and Margaret Love.

John R. Young: 1st cousin 4 times removed. Common ancestors are James Agee Smith and Margaret Love.

Rosy May Young: 2nd cousin 3 times removed. Common ancestors are James Agee Smith and Margaret Love.

Thelda Louise Young: 2nd cousin 3 times removed. Common ancestors are James Agee Smith and Margaret Love.

William Alma Young (1892-1894): 2nd cousin 3 times removed. Common ancestors are James Agee Smith and Margaret Love.

Laura Young: 2nd cousin 3 times removed. Common ancestors are James Agee Smith and Margaret Love.

Please feel free to contact Delbert Adair Jr. at the following e-mail address: dtadair@att.net
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