The weather cooperated this year, so the reunion was held in the pavilion of the McAdams reunion grounds. The main part of the program was presented by Thomas McAdams. Thomas showed up dressed in full Scottish regalia and explained in detail each part of his outfit, the clan MacGregor dress kilt. Thomas explained how we are all members of a "sept" or subgroup of the larger MacGregor clan and that the McAdams family adopted many of the MacGregor traditions, including the clan tartan and badge.

The main part of the program consisted of a brief family history lesson for the youngsters in attendance -- the McAdams Cowboys of 1924, based on information communicated to him by Cuyler Thompson, Jr. He explained the details of the 1924 roundup of Grandfather Hiram’s cows by a group of his sons and grandsons. A special recognition and memento was presented to the surviving members of the McAdams cowboys of 1924: Kelly McAdams, Cuyler Thompson, Jr., and Carl Luther McAdams, Jr.

A pen pal sign-up program was initiated for the purpose of increasing communication between family members and the fostering of relationships between cousins in different family groups. In addition, an address list of family members and a Hiram A. McAdams family tree in outline form was distributed to the cousins attending the reunion.

The Joe McAdams family hosted the McAdams reunion program for 1998. The following information is a summary of part of the program content presented at that reunion.

Reunion Program 1998 – Part 1 – Scottish Kilt and Accessories

Thomas Hiram McAdams

You will notice that I am not wearing my Texas clothes today. This is a full dress Scottish kilt of the Clan Macgregor, of which the McAdams were a sept, or subgroup. Carla and I purchased this kilt for me in the summer of 1996 on our trip to England and Scotland.

The bonnet or tam with the Macgregor emblem is of the Balmoral style (the other style is the Glengarrie or military style). The engraving on the emblem is in gaelic and translates to "Royal is My Race".

The kilt is made of three yards of Scottish wool and was fabricated in Inverness, Scotland, by Hector Russell, Kiltmaker. The Macgregors have several tartans (color and style of pattern): modern (which is the one I have), ancient, and hunting.

The dress jacket, Jabot and cuffs, is a Prince Charlie style jacket. The sporran and chain strap (Scotsman’s purse – notice there are no pockets in a kilt) is used by the Scotsman to carry coins, papers, scones, etc. – whatever will fit in it.

The kilt hose are woolen stockings and have garter flashes (red ribbon inserts) in the top of the stocking.

The shoes are called Ghillie Brogues. They are leather shoes with long shoe laces that are twisted and tied around the middle of the stockings to help keep them in place. Inserted in the top of one of the stockings is the Sgian Dubh, or dagger, the last line of defense for the Scotsman.

You still see the kilt being worn occasionally in modern Scotland, especially at celebrations, festivals, and Highland games. The owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed in during our visit to old town Edinburgh, Ian Macadam, a distant kin of ours, wears a kilt every day. It is definitely a cold or cool weather mode of dress. It is rather uncomfortable today in this Texas spring heat. The other style Kilt that you see occasionally is the old style kilt that you saw in the movies, Rob Roy – a distant cousin of ours, and Brave Heart. This style kilt is popular in the clan gatherings in America.

Reunion Program 1998 – Part 2 – McAdams Cowboys of 1924

Thomas Hiram McAdams

All you youngsters, listen! It is family history time! I will relate to you a brief segment of your family history in order to acquaint you with a part of your heritage that you might not be aware of.

Imagine, envision another place and time! It is 74 years ago, early June of 1924. Robbie Lee is 12 years old, John Clifton McAdams is 8, Marilyn McAdams Sibley is 2 ½, Lewis McAdams is 2 ½ months old.

What is it like in the spring of 1924? There are no reunion grounds or chapel. The cemetery is there, but smaller in size. There is a dirt road running by the cemetery from Huntsville to Bedias. There is no electricity in this area – people use kerosene lamps for lights at night. There is no running water – wells and cisterns are utilized. And outhouses are the only bath room they have. There are no refrigerators – all food must be eaten immediately or preserved by salt curing or canning or it will spoil. Travel is mainly by horseback and wagons. There are few cars and trucks in the area.

Imagine! It is early June, 1924, about 9:30 a.m. Grandfather Hiram’s home place is 1½ miles from here on the right side of the road. It was located at the current site of the Ruth McAdams Ralston family home.

We are now ½ mile further west from the home site along the road to Bedias. We see a group of horsemen coming down the road in the distance at a walking gait. Who is it? It is Grandfather Hiram McAdams and his sons and grandsons!

It is the McAdams men coming for the spring cattle roundup of Grandfather Hiram’s cattle.

There are nine of them in the group and they have been on the road for three hours on their trip from Bedias. One half mile more and they will reach their destination, the old home place. Grandfather Hiram is riding in the middle, in front with his sons along side: Horace, Joe, and Vernon. In the second row, Kelly McAdams and Floyd Roberts are riding close behind Grandfather Hiram. The last three riders in the back of the group are the young men of the McAdams family: Carl Luther McAdams, Jr., Cuyler Thompson, Jr. and John Gayle McAdams.

When they arrive at the old home place, Grandfather Hiram divides the group into three sub-groups and sends them off to start gathering the cattle. He sends three of them with cow dogs over near the Hopewell road to gather and drive those cows back toward the home place. He sends two of them west to "Cow Stomp", near the Bedias creek to gather and push those cows back toward the home place. He sends the remaining three north near the Madison county line, the forks of the Bedias creek, to gather his cows in that part of his pasture range.

It is open country with few fences. It is more open with fewer trees than exists today. Grandfather Hiram knows the range and distribution of his cattle and divides his sons and grandsons accordingly. The groups disperse and use cow dogs to chase the wily cows from the creek bottoms and pine thickets and keep them grouped. They herd them to a central corral. In the evenings, the men come back to the old place, driving what cows they can, to eat, rest and sleep in preparation for another hot, dirty, tiring day of chasing and herding cows.

In the mornings, they rope, brand, dip the cows for ticks, doctor any minor injuries, and separate the steers to send to market. When finished with this morning activity, they separate and start gathering more cows during the remainder of the day.

In the mornings, Horace, Joe, Vernon, Kelly and Floyd share roping the calves and cows. They and the youngsters share the duty of bull dogging the calves. Grandfather Hiram and his sons do most of the branding. The young men, Carl Luther, Cuyler, and John Gayle, keep the fire going and branding irons hot. This lasts for 4 to 5 days until Grandfather Hiram is satisfied that they have gathered and processed all of his 400 – 500 cattle.

When the roundup is finished, they meet Frank McAdams and his son James Franklin (J. F.) driving a herd of Gibbs Brother cows to the railroad in Bedias. The McAdams cowboys help Frank and J. F. and drive their steers destined for market along with this herd to the railroad in Bedias. It has been a busy and challenging week for the McAdams cowboys.

Can you visualize that! Texas cowboy heritage in your family. Grandfather Hiram called himself a stock man, rather than a cowboy.

We have three of these McAdams cowboys of 1924 still with us today! Kelly McAdams, who is 94, born on Sept. 23, 1903, Cuyler Thompson, Jr., 86, born on October 12, 1911, and Carl Luther McAdams, Jr. 87, born on December 7, 1910.

We want to recognize these last three living McAdams Cowboys of 1924 with a mounted picture of each of them in their youth with the inscription, McAdams Cowboy of 1924! Give them a round of applause.

And, we want to recognize all those cowboys and their wives and children who are no longer with us today. We remember them also and are so thankful for their lives.

In closing, wouldn’t it have interesting to have been there to share with them those early days of helping Grandfather Hiram with his roundup. We have so much to be thankful for, especially this wonderful heritage.