Williams, John M. b.1873: Bio, Pitkin County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/pitkin/bios/williams.txt --------------------------------------- Donated August 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- John M. Williams One of the active and enterprising members of the mercantile firm of Tagert & Williams at Aspen, and thus connected in a leading way with the commercial interests of the community, John M. Williams has been a potent factor in building up the community and bringing its resources to the notice of the outside world. He was born on July 2, 1873, in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where his parents, John Rosser and Celia (Simpson) Williams, were prosperously engaged in farming at the time. They were also natives of Pennsylvania, the father being born in Mercer county, that state, on February 22, 1850. He was the son of Timothy T. and Elizabeth Williams, natives of Wales who settled in Pennsylvania in early life. The father was a contractor in coal mining and successful at the business. He was a Republican in politics from the foundation of the party, and he and his wife were Baptists in church affiliation. Two children were born to them, John R., the father of the immediate subject of this sketch, and a daughter named Ruth, who died in her youth. Their mother died in 1874 and the father now resides in Mercer county, Ohio. Their son, John Rosser Williams, attended the public schools at intervals and assisted in the labors of the home until he was twelve, when he went to work with his father in the mines. In 1873 he went to Tennessee for the winter and in the following spring moved to Nebraska where he passed three years on the plains. In 1877, lured by the gold excitement then at its height, he moved to the Black Hills, and there he prospected for a year with fair success. From there he wandered to the Yellowstone and through the Big Horn country of Montana until the fall of 1879. He then came to Colorado, locating at Leadville, and there prospected until 1880, when he moved to Roaring Forks, and pre-empting a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, engaged in ranching and raising cattle, also continuing his operations as a prospector and miner. His pre-emption claim was north of Aspen and in addition he located a homestead claim twelve miles west of that town. In all his undertakings he has been moderately successful and is now in a comfortable condition of worldly prosperity, and his profits are still increasing. The principal products of his ranch lands besides cattle are hay, grain, and potatoes, and he harvests large quantities of each. In politics he is a Republican and in fraternal life a Freemason. In 1871 he was united in marriage with Miss Celia Simpson, like himself a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and they are the parents of five children, John M., William W., Mary and Harry C. and Emma, twins. The first born, John M., was educated in the district schools at the various places of his early residence and at the age of nineteen engaged in the ice business on his own account. This he continued one year, then from 1894 to 1897 was busily and hopefully occupied in prospecting. In the year last named he started an enterprise in the feed trade, but soon afterward he abandoned all other business, and in partnership with his brother William devoted his time and energies to ranching on a property thirteen miles west of Aspen. This, however, did not satisfy his aspirations, and at the end of a year he purchased his present interest in the firm of Tagert & Williams, with which he has since been actively connected. He is an earnest and active Republican in politics, and a Freemason and an Elk in fraternal life. His success in all lines of business has been good, and he is esteemed as one of Pitkin county's best and most useful and popular citizens. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.