San Francisco County
Biographies
Judge A. C.
Adams is not only an honored member of the San Francisco bar and the Society of
California Pioneers, but is also a pioneer of the Columbian Exposition
city. He is a native of the “Keystone”
State, and was born in 1824. His parents
removed to Illinois in 1836, and located just outside of Chicago, at Downer’s
Grove, one of the earliest settlements.
He attended schools there during his boyhood, and then returned to his
native State and entered the Franklin Institute, where he took a four years’
course. He read law in Chicago with
Messrs. Spring and Goodrich, who for many years were leading members of the bar
of Illinois. He was admitted to the bar
in 1848.
The discovery of
gold in California the following year, which attracted the notice of the whole
country, determined him in his future course; he came to the Pacific coast
early in 1850, making the trip across the plains, and for several years was
engaged in mining and trading. He then
returned to the practice of his profession, and in 1869 he was appointed
District Judge of the Eleventh Judicial District, consisting of Calaveras, Amador
and El Dorado counties. At the
expiration of his term of office, he received the nomination, and was reelected
for the ensuing term of six years. At
the close of this term he came to San Francisco, and has since been
successfully engaged in the practice of law in this city. While devoting a great portion of his time to
general civil practice, he has been prominently identified with litigation
connected with the swamp land reclamation districts of the State.
Judge Adams is
reserved and thoughtful in his manner, painstaking and deliberate in his
pleading and decisions, and there are few members of the profession whose
opinions are entitled to greater respect.
Charles A.
Adams, son of Judge Adams, is associated with his father in practice. He is a native of California, and has been
reared and educated there. When he was a
pupil in the high school he was authority on parliamentary law; afterwards he
entered the Hastings College of Law, and is the youngest graduate of that
institution. He was admitted to the bar
in January, 1889.
Charles A. Adams
is prominently identified with the Ancient Order of Foresters, and is Past
Chief Ranger of the order; he is also connected with many other fraternal
organizations.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2,
page 85, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2005 Donna L. Becker.