My Genealogy Hound

Hon. S. A. Williams, present mayor of Fort Smith, was born in Charleston, S. C., January 24, 1841. His grandfather, Charles Williams, though of Scotch descent was a native of Hamburg, Germany, from whence he immigrated with his family about the year 1789 to this country, and settled in South Carolina. In religion he was a Lutheran, which faith is adhered to by the family to this day. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. His son Andrew, the father of our subject, was born in 1799, who, when twenty-five years of age, paid a visit to Hamburg, Germany, the former home of his father, and while there married, and upon his return established himself at Charleston, S. c., as merchant tailor. Samuel A., when about ten years of age, came, by consent of his parents, with his uncle, John H. Williams, to California, where the latter engaged in mining. Schools in those days being something unheard of in the mining regions of California, the uncle taught the boy at night and rainy days as best he could. About four years after their arrival in California an accident caused the death of the uncle, and Samuel A., at the age of barely fourteen, found himself, without any relatives, in a strange land with no means whatever, the uncle having been unfortunate in all his mining ventures. Making his way on foot to Sacramento City (170 miles), Samuel A. worked at anything he could get to do during the day, and with a portion of these earnings educated himself at night schools. In 1860 he went to Virginia City, Nev., and found employment as book-keeper. After the outbreak of the war in the spring of 1862, the Second California Volunteer Cavalry passed through Virginia City on their way to the front (as they were told and believed), and Mr. Williams left his desk, and together with a number of others joined that regiment at privates. When arriving at Salt Lake City, greatly to the disgust and sore disappoint of all the troops, they were ordered to stop and build quarters, and never afterward during the war got further east than Fort Laramie, where after four years of hard fighting with Indians on the plains, Mr. Williams was mustered out. After leaving the army Mr. Williams engaged some in grain dealing in Chicago, and in 1867 went to Kansas City, where he carried on a small mercantile business. He arrived in Fort Smith in January, 1869, where he has since resided. Here he has been engaged as deputy clerk of the State Circuit Court and of the United States Court until elected mayor of the city in 1887. He has filled a great many honorary positions in the city, among them six terms as alderman and four years as director and secretary of the school board. All public enterprises received his hearty support. He assisted in organizing and putting in operation the Fort Smith Evaporating Company, the Fort Smith Canning Company, two building and loan associations, one of which he is still the president; also the fair association, which he served as secretary for eight years, an enterprise acknowledged to have contributed more than any other one agency to the growth and prosperity of the city. He is a charter member of the K. of H. lodge, and an active member of a number of other societies and organizations. The family, back to the great-grandfather, being practically of German descent, that language is no foreign tongue to Mr. Williams or his family, all of whom worship at the German Lutheran Church. Mr. Williams married Miss Paulina Geiger, daughter of the late Mr. William Geiger, and is the father of four sons and two daughters: Benjamin C., Annie E., Pauline M., Elias J., Oscar G. and Andrew H. In politics Mr. Williams is a Republican.