BUTLER COUNTY OHIO - BIOS: WILLIAMS, ISRAEL (published 1882)
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Audrey Shields Hancock
March 23, 1999
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Thought the WILLIAMS family all might be interrelated, so sent the whole
story.  Audrey Shields Hancock

A HISTORY and BIOGRAPHICAL CYCLOPAEDIA of BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO,
with ILLUSTRATIONS AND SKETCHES of its REPRESENTATIVE MEN AND PIONEERS.
(picture plus Ohio seal)
WESTERN BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING CO.,
CINCINNATI, O.
1882

located at the On-Line site at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohbutler/cyc/


Israel WILLIAMS, lawyer, and for many years a prominent citizen of Hamilton,
was born August 24, 1827, in Montgomery County, Ohio. He was the oldest in a
family of nine children, whose parents were William and Mary (MARKER)
WILLIAMS. His father was a native of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and was
of Welsh extraction. William WILLIAMS moved to Ohio in 1816, and settled
with his parents in Montgomery County. Here about 1825 he married Mary
MARKER, daughter of George and Margaret MARKER, who were natives of
Middletown Valley, Frederick County, Maryland, and were of German parentage.
Israel WILLIAMS was educated primarily in the common schools of Champaign
County, where his parents removed in 1830, and then at the Ohio Conference
High School, at Springfield. Afterwards he attended Granville College, now
Dennison University, and finally was graduated from Farmers1 College, at
College Hill, Ohio, in 1853. He paid his way through school and college by
teaching.

After graduating at college he became a student in the law office of GUNCKEL
& STRONG, at Dayton. He was graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in
1855. Upon the completion of his course of study he received an invitation
from MILLER & BROWN, prominent lawyers of Hamilton, who had also an office
in Washington City, to go to the latter place and aid them in the
transaction of their business. He accepted this offer, went to Washington,
and remained there during the Summer months, but spending the Winter at Des
Moines, Iowa. In the Spring of 1856 he became a partner in the firm of
MILLER & BROWN, in Hamilton. He shortly afterwards purchased the interests
of his two partners, and since that date he has practiced alone. In the
beginning of his labors in Hamilton a large portion was the collection of
debts, and afterwards he became largely interested in real estate matters.
He has occupied the same office for twenty-five years.

Mr. WILLIAMS was a Democrat previous to the war, but with the firing on Fort
Sumter his party adhesion was changed, and he gave a hearty support to the
government of Mr. LINCOLN. To strengthen the Union cause he purchased, in
conjunction with Mr. EGRY, the Telegraph, the Democratic organ of this
county, on the 24th of October, 1861, and shortly afterwards merged it into
the Intelligencer, the Republican journal, which they had also bought.
During their management the paper gave no uncertain sound. It upheld the
Union and the prosecution of the war, and denounced traitors without mincing
its words. On the 12th of March, 1863, Mr. WILLIAMS disposed of his interest
in this enterprise to Captain John C. LEWIS and retired. But at this time,
and before and after, he was rendering the government great aid as the
secretary of the Citizens1 Military Committee of Butler County, an advisory
body instituted very early in the war. Noah C. McFARLAND was chairman, and
the other members were Judge HUME, Major MILLIKIN, and Henry BEARDSLEY. It
was their duty to aid the State and national administrations with all their
power, and they did so. They discovered the opponents of the war were
instituting a secret order hostile to further proceedings against the South,
and transmitted the intelligence of the organizations to Governors BROUGH of
Ohio, and MORTON of Indiana. They watched the public pulse, recommended
officers for promotion, helped to raise money, looked after those who had
been left behind without support, and acted as a focus around which citizens
could gather. The services of the committee were entirely gratuitous.

Mr. WILLIAMS was married January 9, 1860, to Miss Maggie WAKEFIELD, a native
of Butler County, and a daughter of John and Mary WAKEFIELD, who were early
settlers of this county. They have four children: Mary, Stella, Nina, and
John Wakefield. During his long residence in this city Mr. WILLIAMS has
earned the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens. An ardent Republican,
he has never sought office.

Nelson WILLIAMS was born in Champaign County, Ohio, on the 23d of March,
1853, being the oldest child of George and Margaret WILLIAMS. He went to the
common schools until he was sixteen years of age, when he entered Piqua High
School, there remaining two years. He then taught school until he was
twenty-one. He had previously been reading law, and at that age entered the
office of Israel WILLIAMS, in Hamilton. He was admitted to the bar in April,
1876, and continued with Israel WILLIAMS, engaged in practice, until July,
1881. He was married in 1880 to Miss Susie, daughter of Dr. Henry MALLORY,
an old and well-established physician of the West Side. Mr. WILLIAMS is an
active and rising member of the Butler County bar, and has already attained
much success.