Horace G. Adams was a very important man in the American cattle industry. I hope some of his family members will take the time to write and publish an article, or a book, about his contributions. I am not familiar enough with his life and activities to complete this work. So I’m going to end with the publication of several of his obituaries.

Here is what the Topeka Daily Capital said:
Topeka Daily Capital, Monday, Feb. 6, 1933, Page 1:

Horace Adams, Kansas Cattle King, Is Dead
Leader of Livestock Growers in State

Heart Failure Is Fatal to Maple Hill Man Taking Vacation In Los Angeles

Horace Greely Adams, Sr., 71, of Maple Hill, one of the outstanding cattle men of this state, died Sunday in Los Angeles, Calif. He had been ill with pneumonia only a few days. It affected his heart, causing death.

About 10 days ago Mr. and Mrs. Adams drove to California with Fred Raymond, a young man from California. The Adamses usually go to the West coast every year, but this was the first time they had driven. They bought a new Lincoln automobile for this trip. [Fred Raymond was the son of one of Maple Hill’s early pioneers in the Vera Community. He attended the Vera School, graduated from Maple Hill High School and then attended Kansas State University. Fred was the nephew of Charles Raymond, Boston merchant, who was a director of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and built one of the largest hotels in California, to attract winter tourists, The Raymond Hotel. The Adams always spent a part of there California vacations enjoying the beautiful hotel.]

As head of the Adams Cattle Co., Mr. Adams was one of the leading agriculturists and livestock men of Kansas. He was the son of a pioneer stockman [Alexander Adams] and built up holdings in land and animals to big dimensions during his life. All three of his sons were associated with him in the company. They were the largest owners of river bottom and upland pastures and farms in Wabaunsee county, had a big ranch near Plains, Kansas and Beaver, Oklahoma, and recently bought the Hodgins ranch near Silver Lake, Kansas.

50 YEARS IN KANSAS

Mr. Adams was born in Mendota, [actually Ophir Township, LaSalle County, near Mendota] Ill., October 21, 1862. He came to Wabaunsee county with his father, Alex Adams, about 1879. His father was a leader in banking [actually, his father was a leader in private banking loaning money privately to purchase farms, livestock, and build houses but it was his other son Franklin that founded the Stockgrowers State Bank, a public bank in Maple Hill], but Horace G. went into the cattle business. His sons have followed him in the Adams Cattle Co., which is probably the largest cattle firm of its kind in the state.

The company operates a ranch of 70,000 acres in Meade county, near Plains, extending across the Kansas border into Oklahoma, and a 12,000-acre ranch near Maple Hill. Every year about 2,400 calves are branded on the XI breeding ranch at Plains, and sent to the Wabaunsee ranch feeding grounds. The company usually buys that many additional animals to feed and market.

In addition to these holdings there are large tracts of land, among them the recently acquired Hodgins ranch near Silver Lake.

STOCK ASSOCIATION HEAD

Mr. Adams was a member of the executive committee of the Kansas Live Stock association, vice president of the Stockgrowers State bank of Maple Hill, and a director of the Interstate National Bank of Kansas City.

He is survived by his widow, Mabel G. Adams, three sons, and four daughters. The sons are Alex and Raymond of Maple Hill, and Horace, who is on the XI ranch at Plains. The daughters are Mrs. James (Mabel Ray) Tod, Mrs. John (Bessie Ethyl) Roberts, and Mrs. William (Helen Olney) Miller of Maple Hill, and Mrs. Frank (Mary M.) Dougan of Topeka.

The body will be brought to Maple Hill for burial.

This is what was printed in the Alma Signal Enterprise:

February 10, 1933

Horace Greeley Adams died in Los Angeles at the age of 71 of pneumonia. He was born in Mendota, LaSalle County, Illinois on October 21, 1862 and came to Kansas with his father and mother, Alexander and Mary Jane Porter Adams, in 1879. He is survived by three sons: Alexander and Raymond of Maple Hill and Horace G. Adams, Jr. of the XI Ranch at Plains, Kansas.

He was married to Miss Mable Warren, daughter of Benjamin and Gertrude Warren, in 1887. Four daughters survive: Mrs. James Tod, Mrs. John Robert, Mrs. William Miller of Maple Hill and Mrs. Frank Dougan of Topeka.

Rev. J. B. Gonzales, Topeka, conducted the services at the Maple Hill Community Congregational Church. [Rev. J. B. Gonzales was the Superintendent of all Congregational Churches in the State of Kansas.]