Bio: John W. Williams, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


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John W. Williams, clerk of the district court of Lincoln parish, La., was
born in San Augustine, Tex., December 29, 1840. He is a son of Electious J.
and Mary (McCall) Williams, both natives of Yazoo county, Miss.  His parents
moved to Texas about January, 1840, after their marriage in the winter of
1839, and there his father engaged in planting.  In 1841 they came to
Morehouse parish, La., where he continued planting with considerable success
until 1849, when he removed to
what is now Lincoln parish, then a portion of Bienville parish, where he
died in 1887.  John W. Williams received his primary education in the common
schools of the various localities in which his parents made their home during
his youth.  During the latter part of the war he served in the commissary
department of the confederate states' army, for a time he was located
at Minden and later at Homer, La.  Being a cripple he was not fit for
active service, and for that reason did not take part in any engagements of
note.  During the year 1866 he attended school at Arcadia, La., and in the
succeeding year he taught a country school.  In 1868 he was a student at Mount
Lebanon college, at Mount Lebanon, La.  From 1869 to 1876 he was employed
variously in school-teaching, merchandising and planting, his residence
during most of that period having been at Walnut creek, Bienville parish. 
Upon the organization of Lincoln parish in 1873 (from territory taken from
parishes of Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson and Union), at the first election
for clerk thereafter, Mr. Williams was elected clerk of the new parish and has
been re-elected at each election since, practically without opposition.
The efficiency with which he has filled this public trust has been proven by
the continued favor in which he has been held by his fellow-citizens.  S. P.
Colvin was clerk of the district court in Lincoln parish, La., by appointment
from March, 1873, till the first election for clerk thereafter, which election
occurred in November, 1876.  Mr. Williams was married in March, 1872, to Miss
Mattie J. Holmes, of Walnut creek, La.  He is a member of board of directors
of Ruston State bank, and also a member of the board of directors of Ruston
college and secretary of this board.  He is a member of the Knights of Pythias
and of the Baptist church, and is in every way a liberal-minded and
exceedingly useful citizen.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 459-460.
Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.