John George Adair
Encyclopedia
John George Adair sometimes known as Jack Adair, was a Scotch-Irish American businessman and landowner who provided the seed capital
for the large JA Ranch
in the Palo Duro Canyon
of the Texas Panhandle
, a region of Texas
. In its peak year in 1883, the ranch encompassed 1335000 acres (5,402.6 km²) in portions of six Texas counties and boasted 100,000 head of cattle.
), Ireland
. He attended Trinity College
, located in Dublin, Ireland, where he was trained for the British diplomatic service
. He had the military rank of captain
. However, he seemed to lack the patient, smooth temperament required for diplomacy. He owned considerable real estate
in Ireland, including the large Glenveagh Castle
. In 1860, Adair went hunting on land he had rented to tenants in violation of the rental agreements. When the tenants objected, an irate Adair threatened them. A year later, in April 1861, with the force of the law behind him, he removed forty-seven families from forty-six houses in Derryveagh in County Donegal, Ireland. The evictions were part of Adair's efforts to beautify the land about the castle. More than 150 screaming children and their parents were ordered off the property. Adair cleared twelve thousand acres. Many of the evicted had no idea where they might find shelter; some relocated to Australia
.
Adair also established far-flung brokerage firm
s with offices in Ireland; New York City
, New York
; and then Denver
, Colorado
, because of his interest in buffalo
hunts and the burgeoning American West.
(1837–1921), a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, native who was reared in Geneseo
, the seat of Livingston County
in western New York State. She was the widow of Montgomery Harrison Ritchie (1826–1864), a Boston
, Massachusetts
, native descended from the Federalist Party spokesman Harrison Gray Otis
(1765–1848). They were married for seven years. Ritchie died of illness contracted during the American Civil War
. Cornelia was left with two young sons, Arthur Ritchie (died in childhood) and Montgomery "Jack" Ritchie (1861–1924), whom she took to Europe
for their schooling. Back in New York at a Republican Party
reception, she met Adair. The couple married in 1869 and split their time between Ireland, England, and New York. Cornelia became a naturalized British citizen. One of her nephews was Republican U.S. Senator James Wolcott Wadsworth, Jr., of New York.
of the hard-drinking Irishman of the 19th century. He disliked life in New York City, and the couple and the two sons headed west to Denver, where Adair would temporarily move his brokerage office. In eastern Colorado, near Pueblo
, they met Texas cattleman Charles Goodnight
(1836–1929), an Illinois
native, in 1874 on a guided buffalo
hunt. The personable Goodnight told the couple about the Palo Duro country southeast of Amarillo
, Texas, and how the land was particularly suited to grazing cattle on the open range
. The cattle had excellent grass during summers and could winter comfortably in the protection afforded by the canyon walls. The canyon country also had sufficient water as well as natural physical beauty, he explained. The hunt had a tragic ending, for Adair was injured when his gun accidentally discharged, and his horse was killed. Adair shot no buffalo.
Goodnight had a free hand in managing the ranch and speedily increased the acreage through shrewd, skilful purchasing of the best plots of land. Adair visited the ranch only thee times before his death in 1885. The ranch was profitable, and though Adair had wanted Goodnight to expand more cautiously, he could hardly complain. The undertaking made a profit of $510,000 at the end of the first contract. Goodnight benefited from the arrangement but personally found Adair’s disposition irritating.
and Denver City
Railroad and the coming of farmers with barbed wire
to fence the land meant the end of the previously lucrative open range. In the dissolution of the partnership, Goodnight acquired the 140000 acres (566.6 km²) Quitaque Ranch with 20,000 head of cattle.
Mrs. Adair lived on an irregular basis in England, Ireland, and the Palo Duro. From 1888 until her death, she was the sole owner of the ranch. Her son Jack worked on the ranch in his early adulthood but ran afoul of Goodnight’s strict work ethic. Goodnight demoted Jack after he caught him shooting craps and drinking liquor with the cowboy
s. Jack's older son, Montgomery Harrison Wadsworth “Montie” Ritchie
(1910–1999), worked at the ranch and was the manager from 1935 until his retirement in 1993, having followed Timothy Dwight Hobart
, a Vermont
native and the former mayor
of Pampa
, Texas. Montie Ritchie was credited with getting the ranch on a sound footing after, first, the death of Cornelia and her related debts and liens and, then, the impact of the Great Depression
.
, Missouri
.
Adair, who had no heirs other than Cornelia, is interred in The Lea Church (Church of Ireland
), Killenard, Co Laois, Ireland, near Belgrove house, Belgrove, Ballybrittas, another one of his residences, near where he was born. The night before he was buried a dead dog was thrown into his open grave by disgruntled locals. In Glenveagh His wife had the face of a large rock inscribed with his name and the inscription "Brave, Just and Generous". However, lightning
in a thunderstorm
broke the rock into many pieces which fell into a nearby lake. Two years after his death, Adair's Belgrove House, also a very large, country mansion was reduced to ruins in a fire, and remains in that state, called locally the burnt house. Cornelia did not remarry after Adair's death. She built a Protestant church in honour of Adair near Belgrove prior to the destruction of the house. She lived part of the time at Glenveagh Castle, and, unlike Adair, was popular, improved the beauty of the castle grounds and was considerate of the townspeople. She too is interred in Killenard,Co.Laois.Ireland
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
for the large JA Ranch
JA Ranch
The JA Ranch, jointly founded by John George Adair and Charles Goodnight, is the oldest privately owned cattle ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon section of the Texas Panhandle southeast of Amarillo. At its peak size in 1883, the JA, still run by descendants of the Adair family, encompassed some of...
in the Palo Duro Canyon
Palo Duro Canyon
Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the city of Amarillo, Texas, United States. As the second largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly long and has an average width of , but reaches a width of at places. Its depth is around...
of the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
, a region of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In its peak year in 1883, the ranch encompassed 1335000 acres (5,402.6 km²) in portions of six Texas counties and boasted 100,000 head of cattle.
An undiplomatic temperament
Adair was born in Queen's County (since 1922 known as County LaoisCounty Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
), Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He attended Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, located in Dublin, Ireland, where he was trained for the British diplomatic service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
. He had the military rank of captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. However, he seemed to lack the patient, smooth temperament required for diplomacy. He owned considerable real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
in Ireland, including the large Glenveagh Castle
Glenveagh Castle
Glenveagh Castle is a large castellated Mansion house built in the Scottish Baronial style within Glenveagh National Park, near both Churchill and Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland...
. In 1860, Adair went hunting on land he had rented to tenants in violation of the rental agreements. When the tenants objected, an irate Adair threatened them. A year later, in April 1861, with the force of the law behind him, he removed forty-seven families from forty-six houses in Derryveagh in County Donegal, Ireland. The evictions were part of Adair's efforts to beautify the land about the castle. More than 150 screaming children and their parents were ordered off the property. Adair cleared twelve thousand acres. Many of the evicted had no idea where they might find shelter; some relocated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Adair also established far-flung brokerage firm
Brokerage firm
A brokerage firm, or simply brokerage or broker in context, is a financial institution that facilitates the buying and selling of financial derivatives between a buyer and a seller...
s with offices in Ireland; New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; and then Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, because of his interest in buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
hunts and the burgeoning American West.
Marriage at 46
At age forty-six, Adair married the former Cornelia Wadsworth RitchieCornelia Adair
Cornelia Wadsworth Ritchie Adair was the matriarch of Glenveagh Castle in County Donegal, Ireland, now an Irish national park, and the large JA Ranch southeast of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, a still active cattle ranch...
(1837–1921), a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, native who was reared in Geneseo
Geneseo, New York
Geneseo is the name of a town and its village in Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA, outside of Rochester, New York. The town's population is approximately 9,600, of which about 7,600 live in the village...
, the seat of Livingston County
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
in western New York State. She was the widow of Montgomery Harrison Ritchie (1826–1864), a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, native descended from the Federalist Party spokesman Harrison Gray Otis
Harrison Gray Otis (lawyer)
Harrison Gray Otis , was a businessman, lawyer, and politician, becoming one of the most important leaders of the United States' first political party, the Federalists...
(1765–1848). They were married for seven years. Ritchie died of illness contracted during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Cornelia was left with two young sons, Arthur Ritchie (died in childhood) and Montgomery "Jack" Ritchie (1861–1924), whom she took to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for their schooling. Back in New York at a Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
reception, she met Adair. The couple married in 1869 and split their time between Ireland, England, and New York. Cornelia became a naturalized British citizen. One of her nephews was Republican U.S. Senator James Wolcott Wadsworth, Jr., of New York.
The Colorado sojourn
Adair was known for his fiery temper, a stereotypeStereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
of the hard-drinking Irishman of the 19th century. He disliked life in New York City, and the couple and the two sons headed west to Denver, where Adair would temporarily move his brokerage office. In eastern Colorado, near Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, they met Texas cattleman Charles Goodnight
Charles Goodnight
Charles Goodnight, also known as Charlie Goodnight , was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He is sometimes known as the "father of the Texas Panhandle." Essayist and historian J...
(1836–1929), an Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
native, in 1874 on a guided buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
hunt. The personable Goodnight told the couple about the Palo Duro country southeast of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, Texas, and how the land was particularly suited to grazing cattle on the open range
Open range
Open range may refer to: vast areas of grassy land that is owned by the federal government.*Rangeland, vast natural landscapes*Open Range, the 2003 Western movie co-starring, co-produced, and directed by Kevin Costner...
. The cattle had excellent grass during summers and could winter comfortably in the protection afforded by the canyon walls. The canyon country also had sufficient water as well as natural physical beauty, he explained. The hunt had a tragic ending, for Adair was injured when his gun accidentally discharged, and his horse was killed. Adair shot no buffalo.
Financing the JA Ranch
Soon, the Adairs came to the Palo Duro to see what Goodnight had accurately described. The two entered into the first of two five-year partnership contracts. Adair would finance the building of what would become a massive ranch in the canyon, and Goodnight would be the daily manager of the ranch and supply the starting cattle. Adair would finance two thirds of the cost, and Goodnight would borrow his one-third share at 10 percent interest from Adair. Goodnight would also draw a $2,500 annual salary. It was Goodnight’s suggestion that the ranch be named the “JA” for the initials of his financial partner, John Adair.Goodnight had a free hand in managing the ranch and speedily increased the acreage through shrewd, skilful purchasing of the best plots of land. Adair visited the ranch only thee times before his death in 1885. The ranch was profitable, and though Adair had wanted Goodnight to expand more cautiously, he could hardly complain. The undertaking made a profit of $510,000 at the end of the first contract. Goodnight benefited from the arrangement but personally found Adair’s disposition irritating.
Mrs. Adair as ranch manager
Cornelia Adair took over her husband’s share of the cattle operation and maintained a hands-on interest for the rest of her life. At times, she disagreed with Goodnight on business matters and persisted with her point of view. Goodnight continued to be the manager until 1888, when he left the partnership. Goodnight believed that the building of the Fort WorthFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and Denver City
Denver City, Texas
Denver City is a town in Gaines and Yoakum counties in the U.S. state of Texas, just a short distance from the New Mexico boundary that is named for the petroleum company, Denver Productions. The population was 3,985 at the 2000 census. The town is located at the intersection of Texas State...
Railroad and the coming of farmers with barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
to fence the land meant the end of the previously lucrative open range. In the dissolution of the partnership, Goodnight acquired the 140000 acres (566.6 km²) Quitaque Ranch with 20,000 head of cattle.
Mrs. Adair lived on an irregular basis in England, Ireland, and the Palo Duro. From 1888 until her death, she was the sole owner of the ranch. Her son Jack worked on the ranch in his early adulthood but ran afoul of Goodnight’s strict work ethic. Goodnight demoted Jack after he caught him shooting craps and drinking liquor with the cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s. Jack's older son, Montgomery Harrison Wadsworth “Montie” Ritchie
Montie Ritchie
Montgomery Harrison Wadsworth Ritchie , known as Montie Ritchie, was a dual British subject and American citizen who became a leading cattle rancher and businessman in the Texas Panhandle during the 20th century. From 1935-1993, he was the manager of his family-owned JA Ranch southeast of Amarillo...
(1910–1999), worked at the ranch and was the manager from 1935 until his retirement in 1993, having followed Timothy Dwight Hobart
Timothy Dwight Hobart
Timothy Dwight Hobart was a Vermont-born businessman, landowner, surveyor, and civic leader in the Texas Panhandle. He lived primarily in Pampa, the seat of Gray County, which he had helped to establish in 1902. He was elected mayor of Pampa in 1927...
, a Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
native and the former mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Pampa
Pampa, Texas
Pampa is a city in Gray County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,887 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gray County.Pampa is the principal city of the Pampa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Gray and Roberts counties....
, Texas. Montie Ritchie was credited with getting the ranch on a sound footing after, first, the death of Cornelia and her related debts and liens and, then, the impact of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Adair’s death
In 1885, after his last trip to the Palo Duro, accompanied by his valet, Adair began the return trip to Ireland. He died of natural causes, age 62, while in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Adair, who had no heirs other than Cornelia, is interred in The Lea Church (Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
), Killenard, Co Laois, Ireland, near Belgrove house, Belgrove, Ballybrittas, another one of his residences, near where he was born. The night before he was buried a dead dog was thrown into his open grave by disgruntled locals. In Glenveagh His wife had the face of a large rock inscribed with his name and the inscription "Brave, Just and Generous". However, lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
in a thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
broke the rock into many pieces which fell into a nearby lake. Two years after his death, Adair's Belgrove House, also a very large, country mansion was reduced to ruins in a fire, and remains in that state, called locally the burnt house. Cornelia did not remarry after Adair's death. She built a Protestant church in honour of Adair near Belgrove prior to the destruction of the house. She lived part of the time at Glenveagh Castle, and, unlike Adair, was popular, improved the beauty of the castle grounds and was considerate of the townspeople. She too is interred in Killenard,Co.Laois.Ireland
See also
- List of Donegal people
- List of Irish people
- List of people from Denver
- List of people from New York City
- List of people from Texas
- List of Scotch-Irish Americans
- List of Trinity College Dublin people