William H. Williams Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1817-1818 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS, cashier of the Merchants' Bank, of 
Woonsocket, is a native of the Badger state, having been born in Grant 
county, Wisconsin, on the 1st of February, 1859, a son of John S. and 
Susan Williams, to whom were born eleven children, namely: Susan is the 
wife of Frank Lightcap, of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Honor, who is the widow 
of Joseph Thomas and resides in Aurora, Illinois; Hannah, who is the 
wife of James Rogers, of Georgetown, Wisconsin; Sadie, who is the wife 
of Thomas E. Mann, of Sutherland, Iowa; Mary, who is the wife of 
Richard Brown, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; John, who is a resident of 
Plattville, Wisconsin; Roy, who maintains his home in Sioux Falls, 
South Dakota; Grant, who resides in the city of Chicago: Arthur, who is 
a resident of Sibley, Iowa; Alfred, whose home is in Hazel Green, 
Wisconsin; and William H., who is the immediate subject of this review. 
The parents were born in Cornwall, England, where their marriage was 
solemnized, and shortly afterward they came to the United States and 
located in Hazel Green, Wisconsin, there taking up their abode in 1847. 
Having been reared in the great mining district of England, the father 
of our subject naturally became a workman in the Cornish mines, and 
after coming to America he followed the vocation of miner, in 
Wisconsin, until 1850, in which year he went to California, where the 
gold excitement was then at its height. He made the trip by way of the 
isthmus of Panama, proceeding on a vessel from New York city and 
crossing the isthmus on foot, and nearly perishing for lack of water 
during the journey. He passed two years in the gold fields of 
California, meeting with fair success, and then returned to Grant 
county, Wisconsin, where he purchased a farm, to whose cultivation he 
thereafter gave his attention until within twelve years prior to his 
death, having retired and taken up his residence in the village of 
Hazel Green, where he died on the 7th of April, 1900, at the venerable 
age of eighty-two years, secure in the esteem of all who knew him. He 
was a staunch Republican from the time of the organization of the party 
until his death, having previously been a supporter of the Whig party. 
He and his wife were earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
she having preceded him into eternal rest by many years, passing away 
on the 25th of February, i885, at the age of fifty-seven years.

	William H. Williams was reared on the homestead farm and early 
began to contribute his quota to its operation, while he secured a good 
public-school education, completing the course in the high school at 
Hazel Green. He remained at the parental home until 1885, in March of 
which year he came west and located in Sanborn county, South Dakota, 
where he purchased a relinquishing claim of one hundred and sixty 
acres, three miles east of Letcher, and there he was engaged in 
agricultural pursuits and stock raising until the fall of 1890, having 
in the meanwhile purchased another quarter section near his home place. 
In the autumn of 1890 he was elected treasurer of Sanborn county, 
entering upon the discharge of his official duties in January 
following, at which time he took up his residence in Woonsocket, where 
he has since made his home. He served two terms as county treasurer, 
retiring from office on the 1st of January, 1895, after which he was 
variously employed until the 1st of January, 1899, when he became 
associated with W. A. Loveland in the establishing of a state bank in 
Woonsocket. One year later he purchased his partner's interest and 
brought about a reorganization of the bank, which has since that time 
been conducted under the title of the Merchants' Bank of Woonsocket, 
while its business is a most prosperous one, the institution having a 
strong hold on popular favor and being known as one of the solid and 
ably conducted banking houses of the state. Mr. Williams is a staunch 
Republican in his political proclivities and is recognized as one of 
the loyal and public-spirited citizens of his adopted county and state, 
where he has attained a high measure of success through his well-
directed efforts. In connection with his banking operations he is also 
engaged in the real-estate business, in which he has made many 
important transactions, and he is personally the owner of ten hundred 
and eighty acres of valuable land.

	On the 18th of February, 1885, Mr. Williams was married. to Miss 
Sally Price, of Galena, Illinois, and they have one daughter, Elsie.