Bio
Horace G. Adams, born on October 21, 1862, in Mendota, Illinois, became one of Kansas’s most prominent cattlemen and agricultural leaders. Moving to Wabaunsee County, Kansas, around 1882 with his father, Alex Adams, a notable banker, Horace chose a different path by entering the cattle business. Over the next fifty years, he built the Adams Cattle Co. into one of the largest livestock operations in the state, working closely with his three sons, Alex, Raymond, and Horace Jr.
The Adams Cattle Co. grew to operate significant holdings, including a 70,000-acre ranch in Meade County near Plains and a 12,000-acre ranch near Maple Hill. The company annually branded around 2,400 calves on their XI breeding ranch at Plains, transferring them to the feeding grounds in Wabaunsee County. They also bought additional cattle to feed and market, expanding their influence in the livestock industry. Recently, the company acquired the Hodgins ranch near Silver Lake, further enlarging their land portfolio.
Adams played an active role in the Kansas livestock community, serving as a member of the executive committee of the Kansas Livestock Association. He also contributed to the banking sector, serving as president of the Stockgrowers State Bank of Maple Hill and as a director of the Interstate National Bank in Kansas City.
