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Founder of A. Adams & Sons (Sandwich Manufacturing Co.)
Augustus Adams was a pioneer manufacturer, inventor, legislator, and civic leader whose enterprise helped transform Sandwich, Illinois into an industrial center of northern Illinois. As the founder of A. Adams & Sons, later incorporated as the Sandwich Manufacturing Company, he established the first factory in DeKalb County and placed the name “Sandwich, Illinois” on agricultural machinery shipped across the nation and abroad. His career bridged frontier industry and state politics, including documented correspondence with Abraham Lincoln during the formation of the Republican Party.
Born May 10, 1806, in Cayuga County, New York, Adams was forced into independence at an early age following the death of his father. At twenty three, he established a foundry business in Pine Valley, Chemung County, New York. In 1840, drawn by opportunity in the growing Midwest, he relocated to Elgin, Illinois, transporting his wife Lydia Phelps Adams and their children by wagon to Buffalo and then by Great Lakes steamer to Chicago, then a city of just 10,000 residents.
In Elgin, Adams established what was believed to be the first foundry west of the Great Lakes. Beginning with a rudimentary charcoal furnace and salvaged pig iron found on a Chicago wharf, he gradually expanded into the manufacture of farm implements. He experimented with hard coal, among the first shipments brought beyond the Great Lakes, and continued refining his machinery designs. Among his inventions was a patented double-hinged joint for use on the sickle bar, an innovation later widely adopted in harvesting equipment.
Adams’ intelligence and integrity led to public service. In 1847, he represented Kane County at the Illinois Constitutional Convention. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1850 and to the Illinois Senate in 1854. While serving in Springfield, he formed a personal acquaintance with Abraham Lincoln. A surviving letter dated December 17, 1854, now preserved in the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, confirms Adams’ involvement in the Anti-Nebraska political movement and his correspondence with Lincoln during the critical formation of the Republican Party.
In 1856, encouraged by fellow legislator William Patten and aided by the arrival of the Burlington Railroad, Adams moved his manufacturing operation to Sandwich, Illinois. There he established the firm of A. Adams & Sons, beginning the production of self-feeding corn shellers and other agricultural machinery. His sons were involved in the business from its earliest years, contributing to both its mechanical development and expanding operations.
In 1861, his son Joseph Phelps Adams joined the firm after gaining experience in Chicago and Michigan, strengthening its business and financial management. As the enterprise grew, it was reorganized and incorporated in 1867 as the Sandwich Manufacturing Company, with Augustus Adams and his sons Darius, Henry, and J. Phelps Adams as principal partners and leading shareholders.
In later years, Adams also helped establish the Marseilles Manufacturing Company, where his younger sons became more directly involved. Across these ventures, the Adams family produced harvesters, binders, mowers, corn shellers, hay presses, and other agricultural machinery, shipping products throughout the United States and internationally.
Interestingly, Adams’ first land purchase in Sandwich in April 1856 was on the east side of Main Street, while the massive Sandwich Manufacturing Company complex would later rise to the west. The shift hints at a modest beginning that quickly expanded beyond its original footprint.
Within a year of arriving in Sandwich, Adams’ reputation had already extended beyond the local community. In February 1857, he received a formal invitation from the Governor of Illinois—evidence that his influence and standing were recognized at the highest levels of the state.
Invitation from Governor William H. Bissell and Mrs. Bissell to Augustus Adams, February 6, 1857, just one year after his arrival in Sandwich. From the Adams family archives
Key Dates: Augustus Adams & Early Manufacturing
May 10, 1806
Born in Cayuga County, New York
c. 1829
Establishes early foundry and machine shop at Pine Valley, New York
1840
Relocates to Elgin, Illinois; establishes one of the region’s earliest foundries
1847
Represents Kane County at the Illinois Constitutional Convention
1850
Elected to the Illinois House of Representatives
1854
Elected to the Illinois State Senate; corresponds with Abraham Lincoln during formation of the Republican Party
1856
Moves operations to Sandwich, Illinois; establishes A. Adams & Sons
1861
J. Phelps Adams joins the firm, strengthening business operations
1867
Incorporation of the Sandwich Manufacturing Company
c. 1870
Expansion into Marseilles Manufacturing Company with younger sons
October 10, 1892
Dies in Sandwich, Illinois; buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery
Though dignified and reserved in manner, Adams was remembered by his family as deeply devoted and tender. His granddaughter Minnie Gertrude Adams Houston wrote in 1935 that he was “a man of great force,” admired and respected, yet affectionate with his grandchildren. He was described as immaculate in dress, highly educated for his era, and intensely interested in national affairs.
Augustus Adams died October 10, 1892, at age eighty-six. He is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Sandwich. In recognition of his contributions, the intersection of Main and Center Streets bears the honorary designation “Augustus Adams Place.”
His life bridged pioneer industry and organized manufacturing, frontier politics and national reform. Through invention, enterprise, and public service, Augustus Adams helped shape both the economic foundation and civic identity of Sandwich, Illinois.
Related Articles
- Sandwich Manufacturing Company
- Marseilles Manufacturing Company
- Correspondence With Abraham Lincoln (December 17, 1854)
- Recollections of Augustus Adams (1935)
Research & Sources
This article is based on a combination of primary and secondary historical materials documenting the life and work of Augustus Adams and the early development of manufacturing in Sandwich, Illinois.
Primary Sources
- Obituary of Hon. Augustus Adams, published 1892 (Sandwich-area newspapers; compiled in local obituary collections)
- Letter from Augustus Adams to Abraham Lincoln, December 17, 1854 (Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress)
- Adams–Mosher Genealogy (family genealogy manuscript and compiled records, provided by the Adams family)
- Adams family archival materials, including photographs, correspondence, and business records
Newspapers and Period Accounts
- The True Republican (Sycamore, Illinois)
- Sandwich Gazette (Sandwich, Illinois)
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois)
Local and Regional Histories
- County and regional histories of DeKalb, Kane, and LaSalle Counties, Illinois (late 19th–early 20th century publications)
- Historical accounts of early Illinois manufacturing and agricultural machinery development
Additional Contributions
- Information, research support, and archival material provided by Adams family descendants and local historians
- Special thanks to contributors who have shared family records and research, helping to clarify and preserve the history of the Adams family and Sandwich Manufacturing Company.