Lewis County, West Virginia         Biography of William A. WILLIAMS

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 390-391


WILLIAM A. WILLIAMS.  The place of his birth and
youthful environment provided a strong influence suf-
ficient to direct William A. Williams into the oil indus-
try, and that has been his work all his mature years.
For over twenty years he has been an operator in West
Virginia, both in the oil and gas fields, and is one of the
prominent representatives of this industry living at Weston.


Mr. Williams was born in Crawford County, Pennsyl-
vania, at Titusville, July 15, 1878, son of Augustus H. and
Addie L. (Chevalier) Williams. His father was born at
Port Byron, New York, March 12, 1843, son of Silas and
Catherine (May) Williams. Silas Williams was born in
September, 1810, at Port Byron, and his wife was born
at Fiskill, New York, in 1812. Augustus Williams was
reared near Port Byron, had somewhat limited advantages
in school, and at the age of thirteen went to work in a
mill under his. father. He was employed in a flouring mill
and on a farm, and in 1863 removed to Pennsylvania and
for a number of years had an active interest in the oil
country in the western part of that state. For a quarter
of a century he was in the furniture and undertaking busi-
ness, but has lived retired since 1906. He has two sons,
Harry J., an attorney at Tulsa, Oklahoma, and William A.


William A. Williams lived at Titusville, Pennsylvania.
until he was twenty years of age. While there he attended
the common and high schools, and from earliest youth he
has been familiar with the technical language of the oil
industry, and almost naturally sought his first employ-
ment in the oil fields. With considerable knowledge and
experience attained there he came to West Virginia in
1898, where he was with the Standard Oil Company for
fifteen years, and has since been an operator who haa ex-
perienced the various ups and downs of the oil and gas
business in West Virginia, but on the whole his record has
been an unusually successful one.


Mr. Williams married Miss Helen Howard, of Point
Pleasant, West Virginia, and a graduate of Marshall Col-
lege. Two children were born to their marriage: Gertrude
E., born November 24, 1908, died August 30, 1921; and
W. Howard was born August 26, 1911.  Mr. and Mrs.
Williams are members of the Episcopal Church, and he
is a vestryman of St. Paul's Church, Weston. He is af-
filiated with Salem Lodge No. 84, A. F. and A. M.; Odell
S. Long Chapter No. 25, R. A. M.; Calvary Commandery
No. 3, K. T.; Wheeling Scottish Rite Consistory; and
Nemesis Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Parkersburg.