Adams County Wisconsin USGenWeb

The county seat of Adams County, Wisconsin, is Friendship. The county was created in 1848 and organized in 1853. Sources differ as to whether its name is in honor of the second President of the United States, John Adams, or his son, the sixth President, John Quincy Adams.

In 1840, when Wisconsin was still a territory, Adams County was the southwestern section of Brown County. In 1836, Portage County was created and included most of present-day Columbia County, including the city of Portage, Wisconsin. In 1846, Portage County was renamed Columbia County. The area from the northern boundary of Columbia County to Lake Superior was removed from Brown County and was then called Portage County. In 1848, the southern part of Portage County was renamed Adams County and included all of current-day Adams County and the northern section of Juneau County. Adams County was organized in April 1853. In 1858, The northwestern part of Adams County was joined with the northern part of Sauk County to form present-day Juneau County. At this time, Adams County took its current shape.

It is important to know this history when searching for your ancestors, as they might be in a surrounding county.

Counties that border Adams County are Wood, Portage, Waushara, Marquette, Columbia, Sauk and Juneau.

Please visit these pages as you begin your research in Adams County

Volunteers Needed - If you would like to contribute information to this web site, or have books, cemetery surveys, vital records, obituaries, census records or any other genealogical information for Adams County, WI and are a) willing to volunteer to do LookUps for others or b) willing to let their information be indexed for the site. Please contact the county coordinator. Thanks!

In 2023, Rootsweb was dissolved, displacing many of the WIGenWeb counties. Please check back as data continues be added.

Many thanks to Joan Benner of Wisconsin Rapids, Wood, Wisconsin, who spent countless hours researching data for Adams County, Wisconsin. Joan was one of the earliest Wisconsin County Coordinators and is greatly missed by our genealogy community.