Hart Family - Ourfolk

Henry owned Flatrock Quarries - St. Paul, Ind
Helped build Central Avenue Bridge over Fall Creek in Indianapolis.

In 2017, they closed the bridge to rebuild it. They removed and tagged 2,500 large stones from the bridge and were able to use 1,700 of them to rebuild it - replacing the other 800. The new Bridge was completed and reopened last fall.

Bridge in a postcard from 1910.

New Bridge in 2019

Flatrock Quarries Railroad
From The Hoosier State Chronicles 5 April 1897

Harry Adams s Ananal Pass.

St. Paul & Southeastern RR Pase

Harry Adams owns a railroad. It is a little over a mile long, but it is as wide as any railroad in this country. Mr. Adams has issued a number of annual passes which he has sent to the officials of other roads.

The passes are decidedly Adamsesque. They read: St. Paul & Southeastern Railway. Flat Rock Quarries Division. Principal offices at Indianapolis, Ind. - Between St. Paul and Quarry No. 3 until December 31, 1900, unless extended. (The Big Four System is tributary to this road.)

H. C. ADAMS. Proprietor and Manager.

Henry C. Adams,
more generally known as Harry Adams, was born in Indianapolis on the 8th of April, 1844; he is the eldest son of the late Reuben Adams.
Mr. Adams is married to Miss Stella Barneclo, who was a belle of the southside.
During the war he was a lieutenant in the 26th regiment Indiana volunteers;
He enlisted as a prvate.

In 1866 he was appointed deputy sheriff, a position which he held until 1875.
While Mr. Adams was in the sherriff's office he did the most important part of the business.

He was nominated by the Republican party for Sheriff in 1874 but was defeated by Mr. Albert Reissner. Mr Reissner magnanimously offered to retain him, but he preferred other business.
He is now engaged as asignee in bankrupt cases, and does most of the business in that line for this city.

Mr. Adams' father was one of the earliest settlers of Marion county, and himself a deputy sherrif for a considerable time, and for a length of time engaged in the dry goods business.
There was a large family of Adams, uncles of Harry, living near Bethel, in the southeast part of the county.

Harry Adams is perhaps as well known in this county as any man in it.

Death Closes Life of Henry C. Adams - 2 CONT Indianapolis Star 14 Nov. 1910 pg. 1
Prominent Business Man, Clubman and Former Political Leader Answers Last Call
Broonchial Trouble Cause
Held Distinction of Being An Acting Thirty-Third Degree Member of the Scottish Rite.

Henry C. Adams Sr., familarlly known to his firends as 'Harry' Adams, one of the most prominent buisness men of Indianapolis, a leader in clud lie and the masonic fraternity,
died last evening at 7 o'clock at his hom, 1412 North New Jersey Street.

He had been forced to give up attention to his business affairs several weeks aho, but had been able to take short walks until about two weeks ago. Death was due to bronchial trouble.

The death of Mr. Adams closed a long and active career, during which he did much for the city, whose bret interest he always held close to his heart.
In industry his name was linked to national enterprises,
many of which testify in his ability as a stone contractor, which vocation he followed actively until a short time ago. In fraternal circles he had held high postitions, having enjoyed distinction in most of the highest offices in the Masonic order.

As a man of the home he held the admiration of his neighbors, who recall his talent as a charming raconteur of his experineces both in the civil war and in political life in Indianapolis.

Mr. Adams was born in Indianapolis April 8, 1844. When President Lincoln gave his call for volunteers at the outbreak of the civil war, her tried to enlist, but was found to be too young
to carry a musket.
He obtained a bugle and in a short time was able to sound the calls. Then he presented himself before the recruiting officers again and was enrolled as a bugler.
He always was in the thickest of the fray and served throughout the campaign,
four and a half years, after which he was dismissed from the service with the rank of captain, having reached the official postition of first lieutenant while in active service

ONCE ACTIVE IN POLITICS

As soon as he returned to Indianapolis he allied himself with the Republican party and became conspicuous in all campaigns, serving on all campaign committies of note.
When he returned from the war he was made deputy sheriff
under George Parker and held the same position the following term under Col N. R. Ruckel. In 1874 Mr. Adams was nominated for the office of sheriff on the Republican ticket, but was defeated. In 1880 he ran again, however, and was elected.

In 1884 Mr. Adams was a delegate to the national Republican convention in Chiicago, when James G. Blante was nominated for the presidency
Mr. Adams was on of the few veteran Republican politicians now living who during the eighties, when politics was at white heat in Indianapolis, formed what was known as the 'big six', a group of men considered the Republican leaders at that time.

With the exception of two years Mr. Adams spent all his time in Indianapolis after the war. A few years ago he undertook the building of the gigantic reservoirs at Nashville, Tenn., which kept him away from Indianapolis two years.
He furneished the stone for this project from the Flatrock quarries st. St. Paul , Ind., which he owned. A monoumet to his memor may be found in Indianapolis in the new Centeral Avenue Bridhe; which he assisted in building.

HIGH IN MASONIC ORDER

Mr. Adams held many high positions in Masonic circles. He was a past eminent commander of the Indiana Commandery, Knights Templars. He also was an acrive thirty-thrid degree member of the Scottish Rite. Another thirty-third degree man,
Samuel B. Sweet, died recently. Mr. Adams held high, offices in all Scottish and York Rites bodies. He became a Mason about 1868.
He was a member of the Raper Commandery Drill Corps many years ago, which is noted for its national prizes.

All trade and commercial circles of Indianapolis found a ready supporter in Mr. Adams. He was a member of the Indianapolis Board of Trade and a charter member of the Commercial Club. He also had been connected with the Columbia Club since its organization.

As a story teller he was noted in the state, and his narratives always were pointer and applicable as illustrations in his conversations. This made him a favorite in all clubs.

Mr. Adams also was active in church affairs, having been a member of the First Baptist Church many years. He was kindly disposed to all worthy charities and contributed freely.

He is survived by two sons and two daughters. They are Bertrand N. Adams, 129 West Twenty-first street; Henry Clay Adams Jr., 103 Pratt Street; Mrs. S. A. Johnston, 132 Central avenus, and Mrs. W. D. Hacker, 1418 Central avenue. Mrs. Adams died in 1904.

The funeral probably will be held Thursday. Final Arrangement have not been made.

Henry C. Adams died at his home at Indianapolis, November
14, 1910.

He was born in Marion County, near Indianapolis, April 8,
1844. His boyhood was passed in Indianapolis, and when the Civil
War broke out he endeavored to enlist. He finally gained admis-
sion to the Twenty-sixth Indiana Volunteers, being at the time a
few months past seventeen years, and on August 20. 1861, was mus-
tered in as a musician in Company I, of that regiment.

He soon gained a position in the ranks as a private soldier, and
was appointed corporal, sergeant and first sergeant. He was com-
missioned second lieutenant and mustered as such January 9, 1865.
During the summer of 1865 he served as aide-de-camp on the staff
of General M. F. Force, at Jackson, Mississippi. He was appointed
first lieutenant on January 3, 1866, but was never mustered on this
conmiission.

His military service was almost wholly in the South and South-
west: in 1861, in the Fremont campaign against Price; in 1862. in
Missouri and Arkansas, under General Schofield; and under
General Herron in the battles of Prairie Grove and Van Buren, Arkansas.
He was in Herron 's Division of the Army of the Frontier at
the siege of Vicksburg, and in 1864 participated in the campaign
and siege of Spanish Fort, Fort Blakely and i/Iobile, Alabama.

He was mustered out of the service January 25, 1866.

He was a member of George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R., the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion, serving as Commander of the
Indiana Commandery in 1909; the Society of the Army of the
Tennessee, and President of the Indiana-Vicksbure ^Military Park
Commissions of 1903 and 1907.

#cg name;relation;born;age;mar status;born in;mother born;father born;occupation
Henry C. Adams;head;Apr 1844;56;md 32;Indiana;Penn;Penn;Gen Contractor
Stella P. Adams;wife;jun 1848;51;md 32;Md;Md;Md
Bert B. Adams;son;nov 1868;31;md 8;Indiana;Indiana;MD
Nellie H. Adams;d-law;Jun 1870;30;md 8;Indiana;Germany;Germany;Merchant
H. C. Adams Jr;son;Jun 1876;23;md 2;Indiana;Indiana;Md;Contractor
Mary P. Adams;d-law;Mar 1877;23;md 2;Indiana;Indiana;Indiana
Stella M Adams;dau;Jul 1880;29;S;Indiana;Indiana;Md
Edith Adams;dau;Jul 1882;17;S;Indiana;Indiana;Md
3 servants
Mary M. Adams;mother;Nov 1825;74;Wd;Md;Md;Md;Lawyer

Indinapokis

Henry Clay Adams, (more easily recognized under the name of 'Harry' Adams) dropped Into Room 23 during the afternoon to look at the registration t?xks, get bis barisre and have a chat with such of the old comrades as he might chance to know.

Mr. Adams caused a shout of incredulity to go up among the assembled G. A. It. men by remarking that he is fifty-six years old. As a matter of fact, with his hat on he doesn't look more than fortyfive. 'AVhen I take off my hat' said he. I'll paralyze you all.' Some of Mr. Adams's friends happened to be present to corroberate his statement as to his age.

The conversation drifted to Old Whig times in tho year 1844, when Mr. Adams said he was born. 'I tell you,' said Adams, 'people were loyal in those days. My name, Henry Clay, shows that. Nearly everybody named one of their children after the great Whig leader. One of my father' neighbors had but one child and that was a girl, so he named her Henrietta.'

After yesterday's experience, the hotel proprietors of Indianapolis believe in the presence of prosperity. More than one of them was surprised to see a veteran who did not bear about with him the earmarks oi opulence, walk up to the clerk's desk, and, displaying a roll of bills, order 'the best in the house.' It was thought that only the leaders of the G. A- It. would take rooms and board at the higher-priced hotels, but the event has proven the error of this prophecy. The members of the G. A. It. are representatives of the solid business portions of the communities from which they come.

Indianapolis Journal, Volume 50, Number 136,Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 May 1900

Henry C. Adams House

1421-25 North New Jersey Street

c. 1897

This is an excellent example of a late Queen Anne house. Its detailing exhibits all of the characteristics of the style: clapboard siding, imbricated shingles in the window spandrels, hip-roof with a gable flanked by a smaller hipped dormer and a jerkin head cross gable to the rear. The original pedimented entrance porches have foliate details in their tympanums. All these elements combine to give a rich, varied and picturesque look to this double house, built by Henry C. Adams, Sr.

The Adams family did not actually inhabit the residence until 1906. From this date until 1910, Henry C. Adams, Sr. (1844-1910) occupied 1421. A Civil War veteran, he served as Marion County Sheriff from 1880-1882. After this he became involved with Flatrock Stone Company, a masonry contractor. After his death Henry C. Adams, Jr. maintained residence in 1425 from 1911 until 1925. He began his career working for his father. Later, he went into business as a supplier of paving materials. Adams was a member of many social and civic organizations in the city.

From 1917 until 1924, William A. Walker lived at 1421. Walker was president of Walker Candy Company, 'Manufacturers and Wholesale Confectioners, Fountain Suppliers, Fruit Syrups and Brands of Apollo and Schraffts Chocolates.,

Old Northside Historic Area Preservation Plan, 1979