Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/549

 valley of the Turkey River. He was at the head of the company that built the Iowa Eastern Railroad to Elkader, and furnished most of the means for its construction. He died on the 20th of August, 1891.  JOSEPH WILLIAMS was born in Huntington, Pennsylvania, December 8, 1801. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and began practice in Hollidaysburg. In 1838, when the Territory of Iowa was created, President Van Buren appointed Joseph Williams one of the judges of the Supreme Court of the Territory. The appointment was secured at the earnest request of Jeremiah S. Black who became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and later Attorney-General and Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President Buchanan. At this time Judge Williams was thirty-seven years of age and had never been a prominent lawyer. He was a close observer, possessed an excellent memory and was a popular, if not a learned judge. He served until this Territory was admitted as a State when he was appointed by Governor Briggs Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He was elected by the following General Assembly for a term of six years. In 1857 he was appointed by President Buchanan District Judge of the Territory of Kansas and removed to Fort Scott. During Lincoln’s administration he was appointed United States District Judge for Tennessee. he died at Fort Scott in March, 1871. Judge Williams was a younger brother of Major William Williams, founder of the town of Fort Dodge, and commander of the Spirit Lake relief expedition.  J. WILSON WILLIAMS was born in 1816, at Charlotte, Vermont, and was educated for a civil engineer. In 1836 he came to Hancock County, Illinois, and was, for twelve years, county surveyor. When the boundary line was established between Iowa and Missouri, Mr. Williams was one of the engineers employed in that work. In 1850 he located at Huron, in Des Moines County, Iowa, which became his permanent home. In 1852 he was elected on the Whig ticket with James W. Grimes as a colleague to represent that county in the House of the Fourth General Assembly and again elected to the Sixth, in 1862, as a Republican and in 1866 was chosen to the same position for the fourth time. In 1874 he was elected to the Senate, serving four years, and again in 1880 was a member of the House, serving fourteen years as a member of the Iowa Legislature. In 1866 he was chosen one of the trustees of the State Agricultural College and served on the building committee during the erection of the main structure and the organization of the college. He died on the 29th of August, 1893.  WILLIAM WILLIAMS was born at Huntington, Pennsylvania, December 6, 1796. He was the eldest son and for many years after the death of his father devoted himself to supporting and educating the 