Dick Pierce    |   OW Ranch History, of sorts!

Wilford, Arizona Territory Founder

Head of the Adams family, and founder of Wilford. My estimate would be that at its maximum Wilford had 20 to 30 inhabitants. Like many places that seemed to be good for settling, the lack of water and the Edmunds Act of 1885 eventually spelled the demise of Wilford.

From wikipedia:

Wilford, Arizona was a town in Navajo County, Arizona located approximately 7 miles south of Heber, along Black Canyon Rd. During the 1880s, discouraged Little Colorado River settlers began migrating to the forests of the Mogollon Rim. The town of Wilford was settled in April 1883 by a group of Latter-day Saints from the failed Brigham City settlement. Originally called "Adam's Valley", after founder (Jerome Jefferson Adams), the name was changed to "Wilford", President Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), at a quarterly stake conference in August 1883.

First to farm the OW

Brother of John Quincy Adams, they both moved into the Canyon Creek ranch area for the purposes of farming, and often refered to it as the “farm on Canyon Creek.” Will and John Q. sold the place to Andy Cooper Blevins (possibly under duress) , but in subsequent meetings, it is said that Will backed down Andy. He never started anything, but he wasn't to be bullied by Andy Cooper. Because of the events I doubt that Andy ran them off the ranch without paying for it. Wilford was slowly becoming aware of the water shortage problem in that area. Soon to be abandoned, for a long, long time. Same thing happened to the first settlement at Heber, water was scarce and only the second coming of the Mormans in that area with better water sources made it a permenant settlement.

Brothers on Canyon Creek

Brother of Will Adams, they both moved into the Canyon Creek ranch area for the purposes of farming, and often refered to it as the “farm on Canyon Creek.”

John Quincy Adams, 81, of Logandale, Clark County, Nevada, died Sunday, May 2, 1937. Born on Saturday, March 22, 1856, in Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa, he was the son of the late Jerome Jefferson Adams formerly of Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico and the late Mary Angeline (Frost) formerly of Thatcher, Graham County, Arizona. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary (Humphreys) Adams. John Quincy is survived by five children, John Quincy, Minnie, Joseph Henry, Jennie, and Living; five siblings, Mary Frances, Jerome Jefferson, Sarah "Sadie" Louisa, Hettie Millicent, and Georgiana. John Quincy was preceded in death by five children, Jerome Samuel, Mary Elizabeth, Ella, Ishmael, and May; six siblings, Rebecca Jane, Cora, William Benjamin of Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico, Martha, Forman Eastwood, and Wilford; two grandparents, William Jefferson of Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, and Jane (Eastwood) Adams of Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.