Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Williams, John Sr 1801 - 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 8, 2007, 1:40 am

Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890

JOHN WILLIAMS, Sr. The oldest settler in Wesley Township, and one of the 
oldest in the county, this nonagenarian has the love and respect of the entire 
neighborhood, and more especially of the younger members of the community. 
Nothing affords him greater pleasure than to sit and talk of the old times, 
whose incidents are as vividly impressed upon his memoiy as though they had 
transpired but yesterday. His general health is good and his mind yet active, 
although he so long since passed the allotted age of man. He has a home with 
his son Frank and family, but is otherwise alone, seven members of his family 
being buried in the cemetery near by. The gentleman of whom we write was the 
first-born in the parental family and opened his eyes to the light of day in 
Greenbriar County, Va., April 5, 1801. His education, a common-school one, was 
obtained in Greenbriar and Monroe Counties, in the latter of which the family 
resided for a time. At the age of twenty-one years, he began his personal 
career in life as a farmer, that being an occupation to which he had been 
reared, and his whole life has been spent in open air employment. He had a 
deed for three hundred and forty acres of Maj. Hamilton, of West Virginia, and 
worked that farm until September, 1831, when he took the Western fever. On 
October 7 of that year, Mr. Williams started with a four-horse team toward the 
setting sun, and upon arriving in the vicinity of Danville, Ill., made a 
settlement, remaining there until April, 1834. He then came to Will County, 
and located one-half mile from his present home. At that time Will County had 
been subjected to no improvement worthy of mention, and the land was being 
surveyed by the United States Government. Mr. Williams' nearest neighbor was 
George N. Beek with, three miles distant, and he remained at that time but a 
few days. Indians were here two seasons after Mr. Williams' arrival, but they 
were peaceable. The house built by Mr. Williams was the first in this 
township. It was of logs, and being 16x18 feet in dimensions, was looked upon 
as quite a mansion. The first year our subject plowed forty acres, two-thirds 
of which he planted in corn, raising from the sod four hundred bushels of good 
corn and enough soft grain to keep his cattle and horses all winter. He had 
twenty-two head of cattle and two horses. Having had some money with which to 
start here, Mr. Williams had not the struggle which some pioneers had. His 
first purchase was three hundred and twenty acres, but he sold off twenty to a 
new neighbor. Very few settlers arrived prior to 1836, at which time there was 
quite an influx of immigrants. In October, 1819, Mr. Williams united with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he has been identified since that time, 
and in the work of which he took an active part for many a long year. He 
helped to organize the first congregation in this township, in 1835, and was 
Class-Leader from 1836 to 1839. In 1837 the congregation numbered fifty-two 
members. The first regular minister was the Rev. Mr. Springer, father of 
Congressman Springer. The first school in this vicinity was also organized in 
1835, and John Frazer selected as its teacher. Mr. Williams was one of the 
first School Directors, and has frequently served in the same capacity in 
later years. He was here when the county was organized, and has therefore been 
as closely connected with its history as anyone now living. The first house 
which he built is now used by T. W. Jones as a stable. In July, 1871, he came 
to his present home. Mr. Williams has always taken an interest in politics, 
and from the time of casting his first Presidential ballot, which was given to 
John Quincy Adams, he has never failed to deposit his ballot in the interest 
of good government. His father was a Federalist, and he has been a Whig and 
Republican. The first marriage of our subject took place September 5, 1832, 
the bride being Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Aaron Burr, cousin of Col. Aaron 
Burr. That estimable lady survived until 1845, when she joined the sheeted 
nations of the dead. She had borne seven children of whom the survivors are 
LeRoy, now living in California; John, in Colorado: Clarke, in Kansas; and 
Mrs. Rebecca Withroe in Kentland, Ind. On June 22, 1847, Mr. Williams 
contracted a second alliance, his companion being Miss Susan Groff, whose home 
was near LaFayette, Ind. This union was blessed by the birth of four children, 
with the youngest of whom, Frank L., our subject makes his home. The others 
are James W., Mrs. Jennie Shefler and Mrs. Lizzie Grey, who live in Kansas. 
Mrs. Susan (Groff) Williams departed this life in August, 1860. The third 
marriage of Mr. Williams was celebrated March 27, 1862, on which occasion he 
was united in marriage with Miss Mary Morehead, who survived until November 
13, 1884, when she too was laid to rest in the silent tomb. The father of our 
subject was Richard Williams, who was bom in Greenbriar County, W. Va., 
October 17, 1776. In the same county in 1780 a child was born who was 
christened Thankful Morrison, and who in due time became the wife of Richard 
Williams. In 1808 they removed to Monroe County, of the same State, settling 
upon a farm, which they made their home for twenty-three years. They then 
returned to their native county, where Mr. Williams breathed his last in 1843, 
and his good wife in 1852. This worthy couple were the parents of eight sons 
and three daughters, three of the family yet surviving. A lithographic 
portrait of this venerable citizen of Will County appropriately accompanies 
his personal sketch. To attain to a happy and healthy old age is the lot of 
only a few, and Mr. Williams is fortunate in that principles of honor and 
uprightness were early inculcated in his mind, and thus he is enabled to 
consider the past without regret and the future without fear.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890

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