John Williams (Rochester, New York)
John Williams (January 7, 1807 in Utica, Oneida County, New York – March 26, 1875) was an American merchant and politician from New York.
Life[]
Williams was a partner of miller Warham Whitney (1786-1840), whose mill was at the second falls on the Genesee River. Williams married successively two of his partner's daughters, first Caroline (1812-1836) in 1832 and then Olive (1814-1867) in 1840.[1]
He served as paymaster to New York's First Regiment of Riflemen starting in 1827. In 1838 he organized the Company of Western New York, known as "Williams' Light Infantry"; they were accepted as a State Battalion of Artillery in 1839 and Williams was commissioned as a major. The battalion was disbanded in 1849. In 1862 Williams was commissioned as brigadier-general of the 25th Brigade, and was promoted in 1869 to major general of the 7th division.[2]
He was Mayor of Rochester, New York, in 1853. He was elected as a Democrat to the 34th United States Congress, serving from March 4, 1855, to March 3, 1857. He also served several terms as treasurer of the city of Rochester and on the school board; John Williams School #5 in Rochester, now a kindergarten through eighth grade school, is named in his honor.
He was known to have corresponded with Susan B. Anthony.
External links[]
- United States Congress. "John Williams (id: W000514)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- John Williams at Find a Grave
References[]
- ^ https://mcnygenealogy.com/bios/biographies041.htm Transcriptions of Rochester Post-Express newspaper columns on "Early Rochester Family Records", author Anah Babcock Yates; "John Williams" published October 15, 1910
- ^ https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/research/AG_Reports/AG_Report_1869.pdf Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York (1869) (see page 32)
- Mayors of Rochester, New York
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
- Politicians from Utica, New York
- 1807 births
- 1875 deaths
- New York (state) Democrats
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- 19th-century American politicians
- Businesspeople from Utica, New York
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- New York (state) United States Representative stubs