Meriwether Flournoy Adams (1882-1947)

Portrait courtesy of Find-a-Grave.

   A leading figure in the political and judicial life of Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, Meriwether Flournoy Adams served Eatonton as both its city attorney and mayor and in 1929 began a long stint as Putnam County judge. The son of John William and Ella Carlton Adams, Meriwether Flournoy Adams was born in Eatonton on September 22, 1882. A student at the Eatonton High School, Adams graduated in the class of 1899 and soon after decided on a career in law, enrolling in the Mercer University law department. He earned his bachelor of laws degree in 1901 and in June of that year was admitted to the Georgia bar.

  Soon after his admittance to the bar, Adams partnered with Joseph Sydney Turner (1859-1909), a former Putnam County judge, to form the law firm of Turner and Adams. Their partnership would continue until Turner's death and in September 1905 was elected as Mayor of Eatonton. Assuming that post at the age of just 23, Adams was remarked as being the "youngest mayor in the state" and served three years in office, being succeeded in September 1908 by W.H. Hern.

   Adams returned to his law practice at the conclusion of his term and in November 1911 married Sarah Edward Irvine (1889-1979). The couple later had five children, Meriwether Flournoy Jr. (1912-1993), Sarah Irvine (1914-1925), Edna Kathryn (1915-2001), Ann Robert (1917-2002) and Edward Irvine (1925-2008).

   In the years preceding his time as county judge Meriwether F. Adams would serve Eaton in other political capacities, being at various times city attorney and a member of the board of city aldermen. Beginning in 1923, Adams was named as a member of the Eatonton Male and Female Academy's Board of Trustees, where he served for four years. In November 1928 he won election as Judge of Putnam County and entered into his duties in January of the new year. He served a term of four years and was succeeded as judge in January 1933 by former state senator and Eatonton lawyer Sidney Terrell Wingfield. In a strange quirk of fate, Wingfield died less than a year into his term, and his death occasioned a special election to fill his seat.

From the Eatonton Messenger, November 1, 1934.

    As a recent county judge, Adams was quickly boosted as the logical candidate to fill the vacancy, being acknowledged as the "senior member of the Eatonton Bar" and "one of the best civil lawyers in all Georgia. Competing against Adams in this contest was Dallas D. Veal (1903-1981), then the acting Putnam County judge. On November 6, 1933, it was Adams who was elected, garnering 349 votes to Veal's 171. He would win another term in 1941 and in 1945 won his fourth term as judge. Adams died in office on September 2, 1947, having been in ill health for several months prior to his death. He was survived by his children and second wife, Jewel Bailey Adams. He was later buried at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Eatonton.

                                              Meriwether Adams as he appeared early in his political career.

From the Eatonton Messenger, September 4, 1947.