William Riley Williams

Narrative:

     William Riley Williams was born on 4 Jun 1835 in Franklin Co., Illinois.^7,8,9
     He was probably one of the three males under age 5 listed in the household of his father, John R. Williams, in the 1840 Federal Census of Franklin Co., Illinois.¹⁹ He appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Franklin Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents, John R. Williams and Sarah Adams.²⁰
     He moved to Missouri with his parents after 1850.⁶
     William married first Elvira Street, daughter of John M. Street and Mariah Brady, on 7 Mar 1858 in Carroll Co., Missouri, with Rev. James M. Goodson officating.^10,11,12
     William and Elvira settled in Linn Co., Kansas, just across the Missouri state line, after their marriage. They moved there with his parents and other members of his family.⁶ They appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Valley Twp., Linn Co., Kansas, enumerated 6 Jul 1860, reporting real estate valued at $1,400 and personal estate of $360. Their son John was listed as living with them. His parents and their family were apparently living close by as they were listed next on the census record.³
     On 1 Sep 1860 William was granted a patent for an 80-acre parcel of land about seven miles south and east of Linn Valley, in Linn Co. This parcel was granted under a warrant he had acquired that had been originally issued to Christina Wright, widow of James Wright, a private in the Kentucky Militia in the War of 1812, under the 1855 "Scrip-Warrant" act. That act extended previous provisions for script or warrants redeemable for land for service in any war to a total of 160 acres, and offered them to surviving widows or if no widow to minor children of eligible veterans.²¹

Service in the Civil War --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William registered for the draft for the Civil War, appearing on the register dated Sep - Dec 1863, while living in Blooming Grove, Linn Co., Kansas.²²
     William joined Company G, 13th Regiment, of the Kansas State Militia as a private. He was sworn in on 10 Jan 1864 at Gardner, Kansas.^23,24 The Kansas Militia was composed of part time soldiers, called out as needed and returning to their civilian pursuits. William was called out with his unit in Jun 1864 for six days, in July for another six days, and in August for eleven days. The major engagement of most Kansas Militia units, including William's, was during Oct 1864, to repel Major General Sterling Price's invasion of western Missouri. William and his unit were engaged in the battles at Byram's Ford on the Big Blue River, Westport, Mine Creek in Jackson Co., Missouri.^25,26,27 The Regiment was disbanded 29 Oct 1864.²⁸
     According to the account in a 1904 local history, for which he was presumably the source, William served as sergeant during a portion of his enlistment. The unit's muster rolls show him only as a private, so if he acted at higher rank it must have been on an informal basis. That account also says that after the war his unit was engaged in fighting the Jay Hawkers for six months. That seems difficult to square with the fact that the unit was disbanded six months before the end of the war, and that the Jayhawkers were known to be active in the early years of the war, not after it.⁶

Expanding His Farm in Kansas --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William and Elvira appeared on the 1865 State Census of Valley Twp., Linn Co., Kansas, enumerated 7 Jul 1865, reporting real estate valued at $1,000. Their children John, Andrew and Mary were listed as living with them.²⁹
     On 1 Aug 1865 William was granted a patent for another 80-acre parcel of land immediately east of the previous parcel. The grant was also under the 1855 act, with a warrant originally issued to Mary Fullen, widow of William Fullen, a private in the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812.³⁰ On 1 Dec 1866 William was granted a patent for a third parcel containing 98.5 acres, about three miles north and east of his previous parcels and bordering the Kansas-Missouri state line. The grant was also under the 1855 act with a warrant originally issued to James L. Wilson, a private in the Ohio Militia in the War of 1812.³¹
     William and Elvira appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Valley Twp., Linn Co., Kansas, enumerated 22 Jul 1870, reporting real estate valued at $3,000 and personal estate of $1,800. Their children John, Andrew, Mary and Anna were listed as living with them, as were Mary J., Sarah, and John Sulivan, ages 15 to 8, and William Brinkley, age 4, who appear to have been nephews and nieces. His father and his remaining children appear to have been living nearby as they were listed as the fourth preceding household in the census record.³²
     William and Elvira appeared on the 1875 State Census of Valley Twp., Linn Co., Kansas, reporting real estate valued at $2,000 and personal estate of $398.23. Their children John, Andrew, Mary, Anna, Elia and James were listed as living with them. His father and his remaining children seem to have been living close by, as they were listed as the next household in the census record.³³
     His wife died on 24 Nov 1875.^34,35,36
     William married second Amy Fairchild, daughter of Rosewll Fairchild and Maria Winfield, on 13 Nov 1876 in Pleasanton, Linn Co., Kansas, with R. W. Blue, probate judge, officiating.^13,14,15
     William and Amy appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Valley Twp., Linn Co., Kansas, enumerated 12 Jun 1880. Their children William and Emma were listed as living with them His children Mary, Anna, Elia and James were listed as living with him, and her daughter by her prior marriage, Stella.³⁷
     He was a farmer, and engaged in buying and selling livestock for 10 years in Kansas.^{3,29,38,32,33,37,39,40}

Moving to Washington Territory --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William and Amy moved to Washington Territory in 1887 and located on a homestead there. His youngest son, James, and their two children William and Emma moved with them, and three of his older children, John, Andrew and Elia, also moved west but just when is unknown.⁶
     William had given late wife's father, John M. Street, a due bill dated 22 Nov 1875. After a payment of $25 on 23 Aug 1876 a balance of $175 remained. When his former father-in-law's estate was settled in 1888 the note was written off as "insolvent, worthless, uncollectable."⁴¹
     William and Amy appeared on the 1889 Territorial Census of Adams Co., Washington Territory. Their children William and Emma and his son James were listed as living with them.³⁹
     On 19 Jun 1895 William was granted a patent for 160 acres about 12 miles north east of Connell, in Adams Co. The grant was made under the homestead act of 1862. Under that act homesteaders could claim up to 160 acres after providing proof of farming the land for five years.⁴²
     On 22 Jun 1899 William was granted a patent for 160 acres about 2½ miles west of the previous parcel. The grant was made under the 1873 Timber Culture act, which offered up to 160 additional acres to homesteaders who agreed to grow at least 40 acres of timber on the land, with trees not more than 12 feet apart.⁴³ He later bought an additional 320 acres, and rented a section of school land.⁶
     William and Amy appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Adams Co., Washington, enumerated 29 Jun 1900, reporting that they owned their farm, free of mortgage. Their son William was listed as living with them, as were Flossie Williams, age 8, a granddaughter, and Boone and William Norton, who were listed as boarders.⁴⁰
     William left a will dated 6 Oct 1904 stating he was of Hatton, Adams Co., Washington, in which he left all his personal property to his son William. He left 160 acres of land to his wife Amy, who was also named executrix. He left $100 to each of his other heirs, to be paid by his widow.⁴⁴
     William died on 11 Jan 1909, on a ranch seven miles east of Hatton, Washington, at age 73.^16,17 He was buried in Hatton Cemetery, Hatton, Adams Co., Washington.¹⁸

Probating His Estate --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     His will was proved on 1 Feb 1909.⁴⁴ An inventory of the estate was filed with the court 27 Mar 1909. It listed as real estate only the same 160-acre parcel his will had left to his wife, so he had apparently disposed of the rest of his land. It was valued at $3,000, with a note that it was "under contract from the state of Washington in which contract there is still due about $1,400. Under personal estate four farm implements were listed, all described as "old." They were valued in total at $95. There were three nine-year-old mules at $125 and $150 each, and three horses 15 or 13 years old, valued at $50 and $75 each. The total valued was placed at $3,720.⁴⁵
     The final report of the estate was filed on 13 Jul 1910. In it the executrix stated that no claims had been filed by creditors, all probate expenses had been paid, and she had made cash distributions to the other heirs as directed by the will. She had given $100 each to John, Andrew, Mary, Elia and Emma and $33.33 to each of the three children of his deceased daughter Anna Belle.⁴⁶ After public notice had been made, the court ordered the property described in the inventory be distributed as directed by the will and the estate closed.⁴⁷