James Adams
San Francisco Sheriff 1872 -1873

Born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1830, he arrived in California in 1854. He served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1869, and in 1872 was elected Sheriff on the Democratic Party ticket. He also served as a Representative in the State Legislature. His accomplishments were considered great for a man whose first job in the United States was working on a farm for eight dollars a month. He used his financial prosperity to help others also. He donated $4,000, a vast some in that era, to improve the conditions of prisoners. While this was undoubtedly a generous gesture, it was looked on as suspect by other City officials.