One of the lingering questions about the Williams & England block and Williams & England bank has been the identity of George Williams.
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| July 10th, 1910 |
Was he the more famous one, Territorial Judge, United States Senator, and then Attorney General for President Grant, George H. Williams?
- This first was a question about a bank failure in "Brownsville Bad Boy of 1895 Points to Thinness on Panic of 1893: Peter Boag's Pioneering Death" (2022)
- And it was implied by questions about the Williams & England block seemingly morphing partially into the England-Wade block, "Proposed Building could give good Jolt to Electric Alley Downtown" (2023)
He was not.
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| November 26th, 1888 |
Even contemporary sources sometimes were confused! A note about the upcoming election for Salem Mayor in 1888 slips between George H. Williams and Major George Williams.
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| January 7th, 1870 |
Our George Williams, trading on his recent war service, and also distinguishing himself from Judge Williams, starting going by Major Williams when he returned to Salem in 1870.
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| January 1st, 1887 |
And it is this Major George Williams who was a principal with the Williams & England bank, in the Williams & England block, and with the State Insurance Company.
The two George Williamses died in 1910, within a few months of each other, perhaps adding to confusion, and certainly adding to any confusion for us a century later.
The one Salem obituary for "Captain" George Williams is reprinted from Portland.
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| July 9th, 1910 |
It mentions the "common financial troubles that swept the country in 1893" — the failure of the Williams & England bank as well as the State Insurance Company in 1895.
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| Nov. 14th, 1895 |
It also appends a note, correcting Williams' rank, "Major Williams (not Captain)." But it is more likely that the obituary has the correct information.
The record at findagrave cites researchers who cannot find any documentation for any promotion to major, brevet included. This is consistent with the Telegram/Statesman obituary. The probability for inflation in rank is high! A minor kind of stolen valor perhaps, but he was in fact wounded at Gettysburg. It does look like rounding up for status, though, and an honorific useful to distinguish him from Judge Williams.
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| Oregonian, July 9th and Daily Journal, July 8th, 1910 |
Other obituaries in Portland got dates wrong on the bank failure, which occurred in 1895 not 1905.
In 1890 running for reelection as Mayor, Williams stressed his role in the replacement bridge after the flood of 1890 washed out the bridge of 1886. He did the usual Mayorly things. (He did not win reelection, however, and was defeated by five votes, Democrat Peter D'Arcy prevailing.)
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| November 29th, 1890 |
Some more on the bridge:
- "Center Street Bridge Collapse in 1890 Should Remind us to Preserve and Maintain First" (2014)
- "1917 History of Bridges Talks about Funding and Costs" (2017)
Beyond being a Mayor and banker, our Major Williams is interesting in other ways.
He turns up as an early advocate for women's suffrage.
Here he is with Lucy Rose Mallory at the first annual meeting of the Marion County Woman's Suffrage Association, held at the Reed Opera House a couple years later. Cyrus A. Reed was also an advocate.
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| January 9th, 1875 |
A little earlier he is trying to help Abigail Scott Duniway at a temperance conference.
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| February 25th, 1873 |
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| February 25th, 1873 |
About the episode Duniway herself says (New Northwest, Feb. 28th, 1873):
After we had been, as the President vainly hoped, effectually tabled, upon a cheating vote as to our admission as Delegate at Large, a number of gentlemen, with whom we had had very slight personal acquaintance, and who had in no way allied themselves to the Suffrage movement, but who saw clearly through the political trickery of the disorganizing faction, rallied to our support unasked, and then followed a four hours' combat between skilled diplomacy and vital principle on the one hand, and ignorance, intolerance and gag law upon the other. Conspicuous among the champions of justice we make proud mention of Major George Williams, whose invaluable aid in subduing the greater Rebellion cost him a leg at Gettysburg and won for him imperishable fame. Aided by Dr. Hall, whose intrepid zeal is worthy of all praise, and by the support and counsel of Dr. Watts, Professor Prentice, Rev. Mr. Parrish, Dr. Fiske, Hons. Downing, McF. Patton and many others, these gentlemen held anarchy at bay and brought the question as to whether or not we should be admitted to our seat in the Alliance squarely before the people in such a manner that they all understood it, and the consequence was that the President, who had set out from the first under instructions from T. H. Cann and his packed committee to hold the bits between his teeth (as did the temporary Chairman until jocularly impeached), thought better of his position and conducted the trying subject fairly and justly.
She mentions him several times in that issue, also confusing him, occasionally saying "Major Geo. H. Williams."
In further reporting on Marion County Woman Suffrage meetings, she mentions him in several issues during 1874 (Jan. 30, Feb. 2, March 13, Sept. 11) and in reporting on a State Woman Suffrage conference in a temperance context once in 1876, also.
Maybe there will be more to say another time about these meetings and those who attended. Just generally there is what looks like an efflorescence of idealism here in Salem during the 1870s that faded in the 1880s and 90s. There is the WTCU that continued on, but not quite the same range of groups organized around specific goals and projects. This might be worth a closer look another time. On the surface it looks like it might be one expression of the Reconstruction spirit here, which then ebbed away locally as it was more violently repressed in the South.
- "Lucy Rose Mallory: Publisher, Feminist, and Spiritualist" (2020)
- "Cyrus Reed of Reed Opera House was also a Spiritualist" (2020)
- "Susan B. Anthony visits Salem in 1871" (2020) and with the actual date, "Susan B. Anthony at the Reed Opera House, September 14th, 1871" (2022)
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On Major George Williams' brother, Richard Williams. From Harvey Scott's 1890 History of Portland, Oregon: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens and Pioneers:
"In 1863 Mr. Williams formed a law partnership at Salem with Hon. Rufus Mallory, which continued until the latter was elected to Congress in 1866. He was clerk of the Supreme Court during the time, and until he removed from Salem. He was also appointed, under Mr. Lincoln's administration, United States District Attorney for the district of Oregon.
In 1871 Mr. Williams formed a law partnership with W. Lair Hill and W. W. Thayer, present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State, and in February of that year moved to the city of Portland to engage in the business, where he has since resided.
In 1874 Mr. Williams was nominated by the republican party as its candidate for Member of Congress, but owing to an unfortunate split in his party he failed to be returned. In 1876, however, he was again nominated for the office, and elected by a respectable majority over Hon. Lafayette Lane, candidate on the democratic ticket. Mr. Williams made an able and faithful Member of Congress, and secured a high standing and added great credit to the State of Oregon by his efforts while there."
So that's another connection to Lucy Mallory, and also general connectedness.
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