UPDATE: Welcome to the Jungle? MC or Mack Adair

This post may be a bit of a wandering, but when is talking with me not?

Who is MC or Mack Adair to us? Mack is Lester's paternal grandfather. James Harrison Adair's father. 

Mack and Minnie lived most of their lives in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.  In early census records, the area they lived in was considered Indian Territory.  Oh my - GET OFF MY LAND.  Just kidding, but I did get really nervous that I would find out that either Mack or Minnie are Native American and Bob and Pam are really cousins.  That would explain a lot for the Bob Adair clan, but so far - we are safe.



As you read earlier, James (Jim) Harrison Adair and Clara Buschjost are Lester's parents. Clara died from complications of the flu and pneumonia 3 weeks after giving birth to Lester's youngest sister, Maxine (Decmeber of 1918). From the records I've found Jim left his small children, Lois, Earl, Lester and Maxine with his parents Mack and Minnie. By the 1920 census Jim was in Tulsa living with his oldest sister and her husband.

I've heard several stories about how strict Mack and Minnie were. When I found a cousin from that side of the family several years ago, she said that she heard the same kind of stories about them. I imagine having 4 small children under the age of 5 dropped off for you to raise at the age of 60 might make me a bit cranky too. As a side note, life expectency for a male in 1920 was 68 years old although Mack lived to be 92.

Well, on with the story, the Jungle . . . I've been reading old newspapers trying to find any information about Mack's parents. When I was about 14 years old Zola gave me his name and the little info she had about Mack and I've been looking since. Starting in about 1900 to the 1920's there are strange, very strange articles in the paper about different people meeting the devil or having meetings in the jungle. This confused me and after reading more of the context I've come to the opinion that the devil is alcohol and the jungle is where they went to drink - basically they were holding keggers.

Prior to 1907 statehood, Oklahoma and Indian Territories (twin territories) had different liquor policies. Oklahoma Territory laws allowed the sale of alcohol, but in Indian Territory it was illegal to distribute intoxicants. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society website, it was more than a decade before statehood where powerful groups - Anti-Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union fought against or as the website says "waged war" against the legalization of the sale of liquor in Oklahoma Territory and wanted stricter enforcement in Indian Territory. With the pressure of these groups and Protestant churches anti-liquor laws were included in the state's constitution. These laws mandated prohibition for 21 years. The act did allow the establishment of a "dispensary" or liquor agency to handle the sale of alcohol for medicinal purposes.

This lead to some strange - really strange news articles about Mack.


I think you get the idea . . . but this is about a fourth of the jungle, snake medicine, and devil meetings I found. Also, it appears Mack and John Mounts were nothing but trouble together. They lived near each other according to the census records. Interesting W. H. Peoples is either the future husband or the future father in law of Mack's oldest daughter Cora (Lester's aunt). She married a William H. Peebles from Ft. Gibson. Mountain Dew then was moonshine, and Town Mule - well it's a mule, vodka.  There were other interesting articles too.



It appears Mack ran for the office of constable and won, several times. He also bought a fancy car - a 1920 Auburn, new. They had a price tag of $800 which is equivalent to $10,000 now. Did you notice Mack's brother? James Adair, returned home after several weeks visit with his brother Mack Adair. He was a Federal (Union) soldier and a good man. This is the first hint that Mack has other family. At first I thought it was James Harrison, but at the time he would have only been 11 years old. He wouldn't have moved out yet. Maybe James Harrison is named after his uncle? It's not much, but it was worth it!

Did you notice Mrs. Mack Adair took socks to the Red cross? 2 pair . . . she did this monthly. She also took her grandchildren to visit their father, her son J. H. Adair.

Mack's obituary stays he was born in Stone Missouri, and settled in Fort Gibson 65 years prior to his death in 1951. It says he was a member of the Holiness Church of Fort Gibson; Masonic Lodge No. 12 and IOOF (International Order of Odd Fellows) Lodge of Fort Gibson. The Masonic Lodge is still there and I've emailed them to see if they have records for that time period. I'm working on the Odd Fellows - have not heard of them before. Bob, Gary & Dean are part three of the 42 great-grandchildren.



So, while there isn't anything super exciting in Mack's world that I've discovered yet, he lived. He participated in his community, his church, his "jungle" and provided for his children and even grandchildren. 

Not to sound morbid - but I look forward to meeting him when the time comes for my passing. I wonder if he will know - we are trying to know him.

UPDATE:  In searching for Mack's parents I requested several records, death certificate, burial permit, and funeral home records.  Leschers Funeral Home is still in business in Fort Gibson Oklahoma and they were kind enough to search for me too.  Here are some of the things I learned:

Mack passed away January 29, 1951 at 5:30 p.m.  Funeral services were held February 3, 1951 (Mack's 92nd birthday) at 2:30 p.m. at the Fort Gibson Methodist Church and officiated by Rev. G. B. Snoddy.  Cause of his death was listed as "anemia" which I found interesting, I didn't know it could actually cause death.  But anemia reduces the oxygen in your blood, leading to enlarged heart.  It's also part of the aging process.  Mack was buried in a normandy grey half couch steel casket and dressed in a suit.  His costs were $509 equivalent to $5,800 now.  Interesting the value of a dollar between 1946 and 1951.  

None of Mack's records give a clue or hint to his parents.  But I haven't given up.  I sure hope I don't have to head to the jungles and I hope I don't get into any snakebite medicine.