DeSoto Parish, Louisiana; Biography: T. J. Williams, Jr. - w452

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Submitted by Gaytha Carver Thompson
Typed by Trudy Marlow
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Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives



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            T. J. Williams, Jr., is recognized as a careful,
         energetic agriculturist of this community, and by
         his advanced ideas and progressive habits has done
         no little good for the farming interests hereabouts.
         Originally from Montgomery County, Ala., he was
         born in the mouth of April, 1835, to T. J., Sr., and
         Evaline (Young) Williams, natives of South Caro-
         lina and Georgia, respectively.  Their marriage
         was celebrated in Montgomery County, Ala., and
         in 1848 they emigrated to Louisiana and located
         in De Soto Parish, seven miles south of Mansfield,
         where he entered and purchased a large amount of
         land, a portion of which was purchased from
         George G. Haden.  He improved the place and
         remained on the same until his demise, in 1871.
         He was married twice, his first union resulting in
         the birth of six sons and two daughters:  Daniel
         (who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, was a
         member of the First Louisiana Regiment), Barnard
         Y., T. J. Boling (of Shreveport, La.), Goode B.,
         Mrs. T. B. Spaulding and one who died in early
         childhood.  The immediate subject of this sketch
         was reared to manhood in this parish, and as he
         was reared to a knowledge of planting he has fol-
         lowed this all his life.  In 1857 he was elected
         sheriff of De Soto Parish, an office he held six
         years, and during the latter part of the war he was
         in the treasury of the Trans-Mississippi Depart-
         ment, and served until the final surrender.  He
         served on the police jury of this parish for six
         years, and as he has resided here all his life he has
         had every interest of the section at heart, and has
         aided, both by influence and money, every enter-
         prise calculated to benefit the same.  He is the
         owner of 1,200 acres of land in Red River Parish,
         which is all alluvial bottom soil, and also owns 200
         acres of good land in De Soto Parish, but makes
         his home in Mansfield.  His wife, who was for-
         merly Miss Florence Parker and whom he married
         in 1868, was born in Caddo Parish, and has borne
         her husband three children:  Charles P., Alice C.
         and Parker C.  The family worship in the Method-
         ist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Williams may well
         be accounted a progressive citizen and a true gen-
         tleman in every respect.