Owen H. Williams, D. D. S. Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1167-1168 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				OWEN H. WILLIAMS, D. D. S. 

	Dr. Owen H. Williams is successfully engaged in the practice of 
dentistry in Springfield, and is also serving as mayor. He is a native 
of Wales, born at Holyhead, March 25, 1865, a son of Owen R. and 
Elizabeth Williams, both also natives of that country. On emigrating to 
America they located first at Utica, New York, and later removed to 
West Winfield, New York, where they still live at the advanced age of 
more than four score years. 

	Dr. Williams was but nineteen years of age when, in 1884, he 
joined an uncle in the Dakotas who was engaged as a produce dealer at 
Centerville. He filled a clerical position in the employ of his uncle 
and was employed in a similar capacity in Iowa and Minnesota for some 
time before returning to the east. He was then in the produce business 
in Pennsylvania and New York for a few years, but the lure of the west 
was too strong for him to resist it and he again left the east. He 
began the study of dentistry in Minnesota and after remaining for a 
time at Canton and Elk Point completed his dental studies in the office 
of Dr. Collins at Vermillion, this state, taking special work in the 
meantime in dental colleges in Chicago and New York. He opened his 
first office in Vermillion and established a branch office at Gayville 
and practiced at those locations for a number of years, but in 1902 
removed to Springfield, where he has remained. He has built up a 
lucrative practice in the thirteen years that he has been located there 
and has a reputation for doing excellent work at reasonable prices. He 
recognizes the need of absolute cleanliness in all dental work and his 
office is equipped with facilities for rendering every instrument used 
surgically sterile. 

	Dr. Williams was united in marriage on the 6th of October, 1891, 
to Miss Charlotte A. Bryan, a daughter of J. H. and Charlotte A. Bryan, 
a sketch of whom is to be found elsewhere in this work. Dr. Williams is 
an enthusiastic Mason and in the brief period of ten years has passed 
through the three principal chairs of the blue lodge and of the grand 
lodge of the state, serving as grand master from June, 1913, to June, 
1914. During his incumbency of that office he attended the convocation 
of grand masters at St. Louis and visited the best equipped lodges in 
Chicago and other eastern cities to witness the exemplification of 
"work" in the different states. He belongs to the blue lodge at 
Springfield, the chapter at Scotland, the commandery and consistory at 
Yankton and El Riad Temple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Sioux 
Falls. He has taken thirty-two degrees in the order. He was one of a 
group of lodge members who were instrumental in building a five 
thousand dollar Masonic Hall in 1912 after the lodge had rented rooms 
for its meetings for thirty years. The Odd Fellows and the Maccabees 
also claim Dr. Williams as a member. He is prominent in the circle of 
his profession and served the First District Dental Association as 
president during the years 1910 and 1911 and held the same office in 
the state association during the latter year. Politically he is 
independent and is now serving as mayor of Springfield, having been 
elected to that office in April, 1915, as the candidate on both 
tickets. While not a resident of the state during the earliest 
territorial days, he came within its borders in time to witness one of 
its worst prairie fires and the horror of those scourges of flame was 
impressed upon him, as an old acquaintance at Centerville lost his life 
at that time. He has a beautiful home, which is thoroughly modern in 
appointment and which commands a picturesque view of the Missouri 
valley. Professionally, socially and fraternally he is considered by 
his associates as one of South Dakota's sterling men.