HON. JOHN T. WILLIAMS.

HON. JOHN T. WILLIAMS.
Hon. John T. Williams long occupied a central place on the stage of activity in Converse county and was honored and respected by all who knew him, by reason of his successful achievement in every field to which he turned his attention. His was a most notable record of fidelity to duty in office, of initiative, of enterprise and progressiveness in business. His personal effort and his cooperation had much to do with the molding of Wyoming's destiny. Mr. Williams was born near Monroe, Green county, Wisconsin, on the 3d of April, 1859, a son of Isaac T. and Martha J. Williams, who were prominent and well known residents of that section of the country. At a very early age John T. Williams was thrown upon his own resources and naturally his opportunities for acquiring an education were extremely limited. However, he possessed an observing eye and retentive memory and was constantly broadening his knowledge through reading and through experience. He was a man possessed of grim determination and thorough honesty and he possessed both physical and moral courage in an unusual degree. He became identified with the west during the period of its pioneer development and throughout all the intervening period until his death bore an active and prominent part in advancing the welfare and progress of his town and county along material, intellectual, social, political and moral lines. There is hardly a public-spirited movement in Converse county with which his name is not closely associated and on many occasions he took the initial step in such affairs. He always saw the opportunities for public progress as well as for individual advancement and was as quick to utilize the former as the latter. His labors were always most effective, for he never stopped short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose. As Douglas was emerging from the period of frontier development and taking on the advantages of the older cities of the east, Mr. Williams gave proof of his public spirit in many tangible ways which contributed to the upbuilding and development of the city and the advancement of the county's welfare. Mr. Williams became a resident of Wyoming in 1879. In 1888 he was elected to the office of sheriff of Converse county. His friends advised against this course, knowing that there were many desperadoes in the county—men who had no regard for law, and it was believed their conviction was impossible because of lack of evidence. Mr. Williams' physical and moral courage, however, constituted the element that brought about a change in all this. He was elected to the office and undertook the almost Herculean task of bringing about law and order. When Frank H. Virden was elected to the office of sheriff in 1892, Mr. Williams was induced to become his deputy and served in that capacity until 1896. His name was always a synonym of safety to law-abiders and a synonym of terror to those who disregarded the law in their many crimes. The call of duty was one to which he never failed to respond, no matter what the personal hardships or dangers involved. Early in the period of his residence in Wyoming, Mr. Williams became interested in ranching and stock raising and acquired large property holdings on Sage Creek. He eventually incorporated his interests in that locality under the name of the John T. Williams Sheep Company and purchased the ranch of F. W. Rimington on Duck Creek, which he added to his other holdings. This became one of the big stock outfits of the state and was managed by Thomas Fleming, one of the partners in the undertaking. He afterward became associated with William C. Irvine in organizing the Ogalalla Sheep & Cattle Company, which operated very extensively, and thus the interests of Mr. Williams were further increased. He became the associate of John Morton in purchasing the property of the Douglas Canal Company, which had a water right on the Platte river, near Inez, for the irrigation of more than five thousand acres of land on the Fetterman flat. These gentlemen rebuilt the ditch at an immense outlay of money and developed one of the finest ranch properties of the west, Mr. Williams eventually retiring, disposing of his interest in the business to his partner. In 1910 he was associated with Mr. Morton in acquiring the control of the First National Bank of Douglas and was elected its president, after which he gave his entire attention to the management and direction of the bank until his death. It was a period of financial depression in the west, following several hard winters, and much responsibility was involved in the safe conduct of the bank, but under the guidance of Mr. Williams the business steadily grew and the strength of the institution was constantly augmented until it became recognized as one of the strongest financial concerns of the west. Mr. Williams also saw the opportunity of aiding his city and developing his individual interests in the erection of substantial buildings and was one of the incorporators of the Unity Temple Company, which built a fine brick structure for store purposes and lodge rooms. He became identified with commercial interests in the organization of the Douglas Mercantile Company, which developed one of the largest general stores of the state. He was likewise connected with the establishment and control of one of the best electric light systems in the west, and at the time of his death, in order to meet the demands of a growing patronage, he had arranged for the erection of a new and modern plant. On the 7th of October, 1887, at Cheyenne, Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie P. Ragsdale and to them were born three children : Carl T., J. Walter and Elizabeth. The family home was maintained at Fort Fetterman until the establishment of the town of Douglas, when they took up their abode in what is now the county seat, and Mr. Williams afterward erected one of the most attractive and beautiful of the brick residences on North Sixth street, still occupied by his widow. Mr. Williams was one of the molders of public opinion in Converse county and was a recognized leader in the ranks of the republican party. He was elected on the party ticket to represent his district in the state senate, where he manifested the same spirit of fearless loyalty to duty that had characterized his service as sheriff. He fearlessly denounced any course which he believed would prove inimical to the best interests of the state and he stood with equal firmness for all that he believed would be of benefit to the commonwealth. He had enemies, as every man of determined purpose and marked force of character has, but he always fought in the open and he bore no personal malice. In fact, those who were associated with him testified to his forgiving spirit and his charitable disposition. He held friendship inviolable and personal worth and not wealth was the standard by which he gauged his friendships. He possessed a benevolent spirit and was constantly extending a helping hand where aid was needed, but his gifts were made in a most quiet and unostentatious manner, known many times only to the recipient and to himself. No stronger indication of the high position which he occupied in the regard of his fellow townsmen could be shown than the fact that the mayor and the city council at the time of his death asked that all business houses be closed at the hour of burial, in respect to his memory and in recognition of the position which he occupied in his community. He was a big man physically, mentally and morally. Without the advantages which most boys enjoy, his development was continuous. He steadily grew in courage, in his defense of the right, in his possibilities and in the breadth of his nature and interests. He left behind him many evidences of his public spirit in Douglas. A modern philosopher has said, "Not the good that comes to us, but the good that comes to the world through us, is the measure of our success"; and judged by this standard, John T. Williams was a most successful man.

Hon. John T. Williams long occupied a central place on the stage of activity in Converse county and was honored and respected by all who knew him, by reason of his successful achievement in every field to which he turned his attention. His was a most notable record of fidelity to duty in office, of initiative, of enterprise and progressiveness in business. His personal effort and his cooperation had much to do with the molding of Wyoming's destiny. Mr. Williams was born near Monroe, Green county, Wisconsin, on the 3d of April, 1859, a son of Isaac T. and Martha J. Williams, who were prominent and well known residents of that section of the country.
At a very early age John T. Williams was thrown upon his own resources and naturally his opportunities for acquiring an education were extremely limited. However, he possessed an observing eye and retentive memory and was constantly broadening his knowledge through reading and through experience. He was a man possessed of grim determination and thorough honesty and he possessed both physical and moral courage in an unusual degree. He became identified with the west during the period of its pioneer development and throughout all the intervening period until his death bore an active and prominent part in advancing the welfare and progress of his town and county along material, intellectual, social, political and moral lines. There is hardly a public-spirited movement in Converse county with which his name is not closely associated and on many occasions he took the initial step in such affairs. He always saw the opportunities for public progress as well as for individual advancement and was as quick to utilize the former as the latter. His labors were always most effective, for he never stopped short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose. As Douglas was emerging from the period of frontier development and taking on the advantages of the older cities of the east, Mr. Williams gave proof of his public spirit in many tangible ways which contributed to the upbuilding and development of the city and the advancement of the county's welfare.
Mr. Williams became a resident of Wyoming in 1879. In 1888 he was elected to the office of sheriff of Converse county. His friends advised against this course, knowing that there were many desperadoes in the county—men who had no regard for law, and it was believed their conviction was impossible because of lack of evidence. Mr. Williams' physical and moral courage, however, constituted the element that brought about a change in all this. He was elected to the office and undertook the almost Herculean task of bringing about law and order. When Frank H. Virden was elected to the office of sheriff in 1892, Mr. Williams was induced to become his deputy and served in that capacity until 1896. His name was always a synonym of safety to law-abiders and a synonym of terror to those who disregarded the law in their many crimes. The call of duty was one to which he never failed to respond, no matter what the personal hardships or dangers involved.
Early in the period of his residence in Wyoming, Mr. Williams became interested in ranching and stock raising and acquired large property holdings on Sage Creek. He eventually incorporated his interests in that locality under the name of the John T. Williams Sheep Company and purchased the ranch of F. W. Rimington on Duck Creek, which he added to his other holdings. This became one of the big stock outfits of the state and was managed by Thomas Fleming, one of the partners in the undertaking. He afterward became associated with William C. Irvine in organizing the Ogalalla Sheep & Cattle Company, which operated very extensively, and thus the interests of Mr. Williams were further increased. He became the associate of John Morton in purchasing the property of the Douglas Canal Company, which had a water right on the Platte river, near Inez, for the irrigation of more than five thousand acres of land on the Fetterman flat. These gentlemen rebuilt the ditch at an immense outlay of money and developed one of the finest ranch properties of the west, Mr. Williams eventually retiring, disposing of his interest in the business to his partner. In 1910 he was associated with Mr. Morton in acquiring the control of the First National Bank of Douglas and was elected its president, after which he gave his entire attention to the management and direction of the bank until his death. It was a period of financial depression in the west, following several hard winters, and much responsibility was involved in the safe conduct of the bank, but under the guidance of Mr. Williams the business steadily grew and the strength of the institution was constantly augmented until it became recognized as one of the strongest financial concerns of the west. Mr. Williams also saw the opportunity of aiding his city and developing his individual interests in the erection of substantial buildings and was one of the incorporators of the Unity Temple Company, which built a fine brick structure for store purposes and lodge rooms. He became identified with commercial interests in the organization of the Douglas Mercantile Company, which developed one of the largest general stores of the state. He was likewise connected with the establishment and control of one of the best electric light systems in the west, and at the time of his death, in order to meet the demands of a growing patronage, he had arranged for the erection of a new and modern plant.
On the 7th of October, 1887, at Cheyenne, Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie P. Ragsdale and to them were born three children : Carl T., J. Walter and Elizabeth. The family home was maintained at Fort Fetterman until the establishment of the town of Douglas, when they took up their abode in what is now the county seat, and Mr. Williams afterward erected one of the most attractive and beautiful of the brick residences on North Sixth street, still occupied by his widow.
Mr. Williams was one of the molders of public opinion in Converse county and was a recognized leader in the ranks of the republican party. He was elected on the party ticket to represent his district in the state senate, where he manifested the same spirit of fearless loyalty to duty that had characterized his service as sheriff. He fearlessly denounced any course which he believed would prove inimical to the best interests of the state and he stood with equal firmness for all that he believed would be of benefit to the commonwealth. He had enemies, as every man of determined purpose and marked force of character has, but he always fought in the open and he bore no personal malice. In fact, those who were associated with him testified to his forgiving spirit and his charitable disposition. He held friendship inviolable and personal worth and not wealth was the standard by which he gauged his friendships. He possessed a benevolent spirit and was constantly extending a helping hand where aid was needed, but his gifts were made in a most quiet and unostentatious manner, known many times only to the recipient and to himself. No stronger indication of the high position which he occupied in the regard of his fellow townsmen could be shown than the fact that the mayor and the city council at the time of his death asked that all business houses be closed at the hour of burial, in respect to his memory and in recognition of the position which he occupied in his community. He was a big man physically, mentally and morally. Without the advantages which most boys enjoy, his development was continuous. He steadily grew in courage, in his defense of the right, in his possibilities and in the breadth of his nature and interests. He left behind him many evidences of his public spirit in Douglas. A modern philosopher has said, "Not the good that comes to us, but the good that comes to the world through us, is the measure of our success"; and judged by this standard, John T. Williams was a most successful man.