Toolin’ Around Town: Artist Leah Adams remains ‘tireless’ at 97

Former Petaluman now runs craft boutique out of Lake County home|

Leah Adams gets the most out of her day by working long hours.

Fortunately, she does not require much sleep, understandable as she starts talking about her many artistic endeavors. Adams’ art-filled home and adjoining boutique are filled with examples of her creativity. From eye-catching paintings and colorful birdhouses to award winning hand-carved painted gourds and Christmas themed and whimsical novelties.

“I’ve always been a tireless hard worker. I believe in working and not sleeping my life away,” Leah said of her ability to get so much accomplished. Her vitality and enthusiasm would be inspiring in a person of any age.

Leah Adams is 97 years old.

She was raised on a small ranch near Woodland, where her family had cattle and grew almonds, grapes and walnuts to pay the property taxes.

“All my life I’ve wanted to paint. I wanted to be an artist,” she said, adding, “During the Depression, we were so poor I used to paint on the border of the Sunday newspaper. I once won a box of crayons for knowing the colors.”

The youngest of four children (her sister, Ella, is 100), she walked two-and-a-half miles to school and did chores at home.

“My mother always kept us working and competitive,” Leah said.

After graduating high school, she attended beauty college and was working as a hairdresser when she was coaxed into attending a USO dance. There she met Petaluma native Don Adams, a soldier in training. They were married in 1942. Following his discharge, the couple moved to Petaluma, where her husband’s family operated Adams Paper Box and Filler Company. Leah went to work as a hairstylist at Hattie’s, then at King’s Beauty Salon, where she did spiral permanent waves, marcelling, using a hot curling iron and cold waves. On the side, she fixed and styled the hair of the recently deceased for future Petaluma mayor Art Parent, at Parent Funeral Chapel.

Adams Paper Box and Filler Company was founded in 1907 by Elmer F. Adams, who learned the papermaking trade in his hometown of Marseilles, Illinois before moving to Petaluma with his wife and four children. Located on Jefferson Street, the company grew into one of Petaluma’s major industries, making egg case fillers and paper boxes. Its success allowed it to expand.

When Elmer died in 1934, the management and operation of the factory was taken over by his three sons, Claude, Wallace and Howard, who learned the business from their father and joined it following high school.

In a Sonoma County historical reference, the brothers were described as “unassuming in manner, their marked views and public spirit making them outstanding figures in the affairs of the community.” Under their leadership, the company manufactured diverse products, including different types of egg fillers, egg cartons, baby chick boxes, fruit and berry baskets, fruit fillers, ice cream cartons and folding paper boxes of all styles and sizes.

Wallace Adams married Ida Brown in 1916 and their son Don was born in 1922. They built their home at 319 Broadway St. where Ida Adams, a long-time member of the Petaluma Garden Club, hosted flower shows in their back yard.

A large fire raged through the factory on July 26, 1945, causing $100,000 in damage ($1.4 million today), displacing 70 employees. Because the fire destroyed machinery, the plant could not reopen as a paper manufacturer. Instead, it became Adams Wood Products, a wholesale lumber company and wood box builder.

Raised in a family of golfers, Don was a four-time Petaluma Golf & Country Club champion. When they sold their property near Country Club Drive, Leah designed the home at 1 Steven Drive for the family, which now included sons Steven and David.

The couple planned to retire to Lake County in the 1970s but instead operated Rocky Point Resort in Lakeport for about 10 years. Far from retired, energetic Leah made curtains and bedspreads, cooked and catered and planted thousands of flowers there, in addition to designing their Kelseyville home.

A self-taught artist, she enjoys a wide range of styles. In addition to oil and watercolor painting, Leah does rosemaling - decorative work of Norwegian folk origin consisting of painted or carved floral designs, as on furniture or woodwork. Her gourd art creations, which once swept the three top spots at a gourd art show, are painstakingly carved, sanded, painted and polished, following ancient African, Asian and native American traditions. Many of her items are for sale at her gift shop, Leah Adams Boutique. (You can contact her at 707-279-0642).

“Every afternoon at 3:30, I spread feed for the quail. When I knock on the post, they come out and swarm the deck,” said Adams, who may have aged but has never gotten old. “You’ve got to stay busy and keep moving.”

(Harlan Osborne’s ‘Toolin’ Around Town’ runs every other week in the Argus-Courier. You can reach Harlan at harlan@sonic.net)

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.