History of Detroit, a chronicle of its progress, its industries, its institutions, and the people of the fair City of the straits, / by Paul Leake ... [Vol. 3]

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HISTORY OF DETROIT

Detroit. In this city his success in the work of his profession has been
of the most unequivocal order and he is known as a physician and
surgeon of high attainments and distinctive practical ability.
Dr. Tufford is a member of the Wayne County Medical Society, the
Michigan State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.
In his political tendencies he is inclined to the Independent party.
On September 18, 1895, Dr. Tufford was united in marriage to Miss
Estelle Witt, daughter of Arthur Witt, a representative citizen of
Almont, Lapeer county, Michigan. Two children were born to Dr.
and Mrs. Tufford, one of whom is now living,-Walter Witt Tufford,
born July 3, 1903.
MICHAEL A. ADAMS, one of Detroit's well-known and most highly
esteemed retired citizens and business men, was born in county Monaghan, Ireland, in 1836. He is the son of Colonel Adams, an officer of
the English Army, who was sent to Ireland to take command of an
Irish regiment. There he met and married an Irish girl and became
the father of two sons, our subject and brother.
Life at home was too dull for the two boys, and when about fourteen
Mr. Adams took counsel with his brother and they determined to see
the world and carve out their own careers. Taking their shoes in their
hands to save the foot wear, the high spirited boys, bare-footed, crossed
the border and walked to Glasgow, Scotland. Michael, who is now
enjoying the sunset of his life in his comfortable and handsome home,
which he built in 1887, at the corner of Cass and Putnam avenues in
Detroit, secured a position in a shoe store on the Bazaar in Glasgow.
In 1851 the wanderlust again seized young Adams and he crossed the
ocean to the United States. He landed at New York City, but the
metropolis was not to his liking and he went to Albany, the state capital,
where he entered a shoe store, as he had in Scotland.
He was employed there one winter when he thought Canada would
offer a greater field for his energies. He visited several towns, and being an expert shoe salesman, had no difficulty in securing positions.
But Canada did not suit him and he returned to the United States, going
to Buffalo and later to Cleveland, and in 1852 came to Detroit, where
he was destined to make his future home. He accepted a position with
Alfred McKnight, who had a shoe store at the corner of Shelby street
and Jefferson avenue, and remained with him about one year. During
the next few years he was with several other firms, and thus he continued until he decided to go into business for himself.
He bought a stock of dry goods from Chandler & Shelden, which
he took with him up into the north country, as the shores of Lake
Superior were then termed. He visited the mining districts and placed
the goods on sale, with the result that his wares were soon disposed of.
In the spring of 1855, with a moderate capital accumulated as a result
of his northern trip, Mr. Adams returned to Detroit and entered the
grocery business at 17 Griswold street, where he remained until 1858,
when he built a store room on Michigan avenue, at the corner of National, where he conducted the grocery business during the winter.
He found the location to be too far out for business at that time, and
moved to the corner of Third and Michigan avenues, where he built
the store room at 157 Michigan avenue, and in 1865, built another at
178 Michigan avenue, where he conducted a crockery store. He remained in the crockery business at this stand for more than forty-five
years, and in 1909 sold out and retired from active business. In addition to his other holdings he built the fine brick double flat building at 162-164 State street about thirty-five years ago.