CHARLES WILLIAMS
History of Arizona, 1893

Few men in the county have reached such a high degree of 
excellence in their calling as has Charles Williams, the 
prominent and successful fruit grower who resides two miles 
northwest of Phoenix.  He is a native Kentuckian, born in 
Trimble County in 1850, but when a mere boy left that state 
and went to Illinois where he worked by the month in Piatt 
County. He was thus employed for a few years and then, 
having accumulated some money, went to Colorado.  This was 
in 1870 or 71 and he settled at Greeley, where he followed 
farming for some time.  From there he went to Old Mexico, 
partly for his health and partly to find a good location 
and later made his way to Southern California. In 1888 he 
came to Arizona, settled in Phoenix and as his extensive 
traveling had reduced his means, began working by the month 
at whatever he could find to do. In the spring of 1890 he 
bought twenty acres of land for $200 and as there were no 
improvements he immediately began making some and has now 
one of the nicest little homes in the place.  Mr. Williams 
has four acres in strawberries which will yield an average 
per year of 4,000 boxes per acre at ten cents per box. He 
also raises blackberries, asparagus, peaches, pears, 
grapes, apricots, figs, dates, almonds, garden truck of 
all kinds and flowers.  Mr. Williams is also in the dairy 
business to some extent, owning some fine cows and making 
good butter for the market.  He is known as the Strawberry 
King of Arizona.  He was a candidate for county assessor on 
the Republican and made a good race, although the county 
was largely Democratic.  He is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity.

On the 13th of September 1876 he married Miss Sarah Mimmack, 
a native of England, and they have four interesting children: 
Frank, Mary, Lucy and Ida.

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