My Genealogy Hound

William W. Williams, a farmer of Jefferson Township, Saline County, is a native resident of this county, having been born in 1846. He was the youngest in a family of nine children which blessed the union of William W. and Sarah (Lindsey) Williams, of North Carolina and Kentucky birth, respectively. His father was one of the pioneer settlers of Saline County. He entered a tract of land in this county, on which he lived at the time of his death in 1854, his wife surviving him until 1876. Our subject’s maternal grandfather (Lindsey) came from Kentucky in 1825, together with six of his children, and settled in Saline County, Ark., entering land in Saline Township. These children were as follows: Polly, Betsy, Nancy, Sarah, John and Caleb, all married and settled in Saline County. The county at that time was mostly uninhabited, and Mr. Lindsey’s nearest neighbor was fifteen miles distant. Many nights were heard the growling of bears and other wild animals around his house. On one occasion, Mr. Williams’ father hearing a hog squealing early in the morning began an investigation, and found a large bear attacking the “porker.” The wild beast, seeing the intruder, made for him, compelling Mr. Williams to climb a tree, with the bear after him. Thus they remained until help from the house arrived. In those early days the general mode of cultivation was with ploughs made of wood, the corn being ground by hand. William Williams, Jr., was early made acquainted with farm labor. He was educated in the common schools, and enlisted, in Columbia County in 1862, for three years under Capt. Errins, taking part in the siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Corinth and Jenkins’ Ferry and other engagements, and was paroled in 1865 at Natchitoches, La. He served in the Nineteenth Arkansas Infantry one year, and afterward in the heavy artillery to the close of the war, when he returned to Columbia County and in 1865 came to Saline County, engaging again in farming. In 1882 Mr. Williams entered 115 acres of land, on which he erected a house and commenced improving his land. Subsequently he bought forty acres more, having now a farm of 155 acres, eighty of which are under cultivation, he having cleared sixty-five acres himself. Mr. Williams was married in this county in 1868 to Cordelia Roberts, a native of Tennessee, and daughter of T. J. and Polly (Hawser) Roberts, both of whom came here from Tennessee and still survive. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are the parents of seven children, five living and two dead: Florence (now Mrs. Templeton, of Pulaski County), Jeff, Clara, Estella (deceased), Isabella (deceased), Daisy and Hettie. They are both members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Williams takes a great interest in the growing of fine fruit. He is a substantial citizen, and enjoys wide and favorable respect.