Janet Ada Adair
This page is dedicated to Kenneth's maternal ancestors including his mother Janet Ada, and grandparents Alexander Adair and Mary Noble.
Janet Ada Adair 1868-1939
The Steamer, the Train and the Sailboat
What a story to the Territory of Washington! Janet Ada was born in New Brunswick in 1868 to Alexander Adair and Mary Noble. She was the oldest of eight children. At six months old she hopped a steamer with her parents, bound for the Pacific Northwest of the Washington Territory. It’s unfortunate she wasn’t old enough to remember the steamers, the train ride, the sailboat. Oh the adventure of being swept out to sea in a storm. Good golly Janet Ada’s mother must have been terrified!
As of the writing of this biography, I don’t have any information on Janet Ada’s first 16 years of life. Through more contact with my Adair cousins, I’m hoping to fill in this area.
A Young Mother’s Loss
At 16 years old Janet Ada married William Ezra Sikes in September of 1884, and they welcomed their first daughter Mary Evaline Sikes 10 months later in July 1885. A second daughter was born 3 ½ years later in February 1889, LuLu Marguerite. Tragically they will lose both daughters within twelve days of each other in November and December of 1889 from diphtheria. I was told by my aunts that both girls were buried on the farm and were moved to the Redmond cemetery sometime later. Also, according to my aunts, Janet Ada also was sick with diphtheria, barely surviving.
Janet and William would find themselves parents again less than 2 years later with the birth of their first son, Lionel Ezra, and then 17 years later with the birth of Kenneth Kay Sikes.
Their Years
William and Janet Ada set about clearing the land to grow crops of vegetables and dairy products which made their way to the logging camps. He continually added to his acreage, until he had 680 acres. Eventually, he sold off 500 acres and farmed 180 acres. In 1900, “a modern house was built “which has a fine view of the valley.”
In addition to farming, William Ezra was in the hotel and real estate business. He owned and operated the first hotel in Redmond and ran for county commissioner with the slogan, “Vote for a practical man.”
Janet Ada was an active member of multiple organizations including a founding member of the Nakomis Club of Redmond, Eastern Star Chapter of Fall City, Snoqualmie County Grange, Washington Pioneer Association, and the Snoqualmie Valley Pioneer Association.
As the city of Redmond was in its infancy, William and Janet were involved in those formative years. In 1891, William and Janet Ada platted an addition to the now-established city of Redmond. Two more additions were added by William and Janet Ada, one in 1906 and one in 1913.
The Park
Janet Ada died in July of 1939 and William lived another 5 years. Prior to his death, he donated land for a city park in Redmond and had two conditions. The park was to be named after his wife, Janet Ada Adair and there had to be a sidewalk built around the outer perimeter of the park.
The park was not named after Janet Ada Adair, and it took forty-eight years for it to be brought to the attention of the City. The City of Redmond agreed to name one of the structures in the park “The Adair House.”
Janet's parents, Alexander Adair and Mary Noble
Mary Noble
B:4 July 1842 New Brunswick, Canada
D:18 Dec 1909 Novelty, King, Washington, USA
Alexander Adair
B:05 Jun 1829 Kirkcolm, Wigtownshire, Scotland
D:14 Sep 1916 Redmond, King, Washington, USA
Alexander: Scotland to Canada
Born June 4th, 1831, near Glasgow Scotland to William James Adair and Janet Ross (I’m seeing some information with her last name Montgomery?). More research needs to be done on the “Adair’s of Scotland.” In a book titled, History of King County-“through the male line can trace their ancestry to the Adair’s of Scotland.”
At the age of 9, young Alexander left Scotland for Canada, presumably with his parents. More research on this. One source says he lived his younger years in Maine. Another source says he was reared in St. John and Fredericton New Brunswick. He had a common education and learned the logging business. *Maine, Saint John, and Fredericton NB Canada are in close proximity so both statements could be correct.
Alexander age 38 years old and 23-year-old Mary Noble were married 16 JUL 1867. Their first child, Janet Ada is born 9 months later. A short six months later, the family of three is onward to the Pacific Northwest. (verify if anybody else traveled with them).
Mary: First Daughter of Canada
Mary Noble was a first-generation Canadian. Her parents Robert Noble and Janet Sloan were both born in Scotland and immigrated to Canada where Mary was born. More research needs to be done on young Mary's life in Canada.
The Steamer, the Train and the Sailboat
Alexander and Mary packed up their little daughter Janet and in September of 1868 made their way from Saint John to the Port of Isthmus of Panama. The family of three boarded a seat on the Panama Railroad and made the 47-mile trek to Colon.
The Adair family would have arrived in the city of Coln and booked passage to San Francisco. According to a family document by Beryl Adair “When they arrived in San Francisco, they just missed the boat en route to Seattle, so they decided to go on a sailing vessel and when about midway, a storm blew them out to sea. By the time the captain got back on his course including all sailing, it was a 30-day trip to Seattle WA then a territory on 9 SEPT 1868.”
In researching the route, they would have taken, it’s a feat to have survived this journey! Captain’s logs are filled with log entries of children dying, “buried onshore” and at least two references to children “buried at sea.”
*Small inconsistency. If Janet Ada was six months old when they started their voyage, they couldn’t have arrived in Washington Territory on September 1868. That date works for leaving Canada in September of 1868 when Janet would have been close to six months old.
Pioneers
Alexander, Mary and baby Janet stayed in Seattle for two years while Alexander ran the Old Occidental Hotel (First Avenue South and Occidental Street). Around this time, they welcomed their first son, Alex Adair in 1870. More information needs to be done on the connection with the Occidental Hotel, Alexander and William Ezra Sikes.
On September 19th, 1871, the Adair’s settled on the Snoqualmie River at Novelty where they homesteaded 160 acres which they would eventually have 500 acres.
Alexander was granted US citizenship on 19 FEB 1889. On the 1900 census its documented Alexander’s immigration date is 1837 and 69 years “in this country”. Mary Nobles immigration date is listed 1874, 26 years in this country. Alexander’s citizenship documents are available. I’m on the hunt for Mary and Janet Ada’s. Need to do more research on why Alexander and Mary’s “years in country” are so different. In this census, Alexander immigrated in 1837. This date lines up when he immigrated from Scotland to Canada when he was 9 years old. *slight discrepancy between age 7 and age 9.
The Children
Alexander and Mary had 7 (*8) children and they would live with the heartache of losing three. *Some reference materials state eight children and some seven.
Children: (7) *eight. Lost three, two because of diphtheria. Unk third
Janet (Sikes), Alexander (1889 diphtheria), Dora (Spaulding), John Harvey (1891 diphtheria), William James, Alonzo “Lonnie”, Christine (Hedreen).
1889
1889 brought unfathomable loss to the Adair house. Diphtheria would take two granddaughters, Lulu Margureite, Mary Evaline Sikes and son, John Harvey all within a few days of each other. Another son, Alex died 13 months later of diphtheria.
Death
Mary died at Pacific Hospital in Seattle cause of death myocarditis, Varicose veins, "contributary amputation of leg account of gangrene."
Alexander lived another 7 years. They are both buried in Redmond Pioneer Cemetery with a joint headstone.
The Legacy of Early Settlers
The life of the early pioneers who settled in the Pacific Northwest was hard. From cold, treacherous rivers, hunger, wild animals, and disease. The cemeteries are filled with children, including several from this family who are a testament to the hard times.
From Canada to the Isthmus of Panama, trains over treacherous mountains, steamers, and sail boats, to homesteading and clearing hundreds of acres of land. The Adair’s were instrumental in setting the area around Seattle and had a first-row seat to what Seattle looks like today.
Alexander Adair and Mary Noble have more descendants than I could count, it surely is in the hundreds. We are travelers, authors, educators, scientists, engineers, carpenters, ironworkers, mothers, and fathers.
We are all those things because two newlyweds got on a steamer with a baby.
Beryl Adair Trezise
The first time traveler! What can I say about my cousin
I'm grateful for everything she did for all of the descendants of the Adairs.
She left a gift that is priceless.
Thank you Beryl.
Thank you to the Tolt Historical Society for being the keeper of history so memories have a place to live.
Beryl Enid Adair Trezise
BIRTH
6 Apr 1909
Everett, Snohomish County, Washington, USA
DEATH
10 May 2000 (aged 91)
Seattle, King County, Washington, USA
BURIAL
Redmond, King County, Washington, USA Add to Map
MEMORIAL ID
5416066 · View Source
Beryl Adair Documents
(1) Alexander Adair Came to Washington 1868
(2) Alexander and Mary Noble Adair - Copy of Photos
(3) Pioneering in the Snoqualmie Valley
(4) Seventy Years Ago at Tolt High School
(5) The Adair Family
(6) Edward W. and Elizabeth A. Trezise
(7) My Trip to the Annual Club Camp
(8) The Adams Family
(9) William Sidney Adams and Catherine Cook Adams
The Three Little Adairs
In the Old Pioneer Cemetery in Redmond, WA, there is a white marker bearing three names.
Johnny 1873-1889, Allie 1870-1891, and Leonard A. 1907-1907.
Johnny is John Harvey 16 years old. Diphtheria took his life within days of two little nieces in 1889.
Allie, is Alexander, 21 years old. Died of diphtheria 13 months after his younger brother.
Little Leonard A. Adair died at 7 days old and is buried with his two uncles who died 18 years prior to his death. I have no confirmation who his parents are, other than a grandchild of Alexander Adair and Mary Noble.
