The town of Adams is one of the towns south of the Black River formerly known as the Black River Tract, and was originally known as Aleppo. Benjamin Wright surveyed the boundaries of the town in 1796. Adams was divided into 56 great lots varying from 240 to 676 acres, for a total 26,505 acres. It measures six miles east to west and nearly seven miles north to south and the north branch of Sandy Creek passes through the town.

     The town of Adams was set off from Mexico on April 1, 1802 and originally included what is today the towns of Adams and Rodman. Rodman was set off as a separate town on March 24, 1804. No settlement was made here until April 16, 1800 when Nicholas Salisbury and his family, with goods and two hired hands, Solomon Smith and son, arrived in Adams by oxen and sled. Mr. Salisbury settled one mile west of the present village of Adams. 

     The town of Adams is bordered on the north by the town of Watertown, on the east by the towns of Rodman and Lorraine, on the south by Ellisburg and on the west by Henderson and Hounsfield.