Mr. Williams who represents the Second District of Oswego county was born in Clay, Onondaga County New York on February 28, 1828 of New England parentage and of Welsh and Irish ancestry. His childhood was passed on a farm until he was sixteen years of age and he received his education at the public schools and at the Clinton Liberal Institute where he attended six months He entered the printing office of the Phoenix Gazette when he was twenty two and in the following year became its editor and publisher The paper had been neutral in politics but the year after Mr Williams became its editor he made it a thorough Whig advocate and gave strong support to the candidacy of Scott and Graham In 1853 at the solicitation of the leading Whigs of his district he removed the paper to Fulton and called it the Oswego County Gazette He continued its publication as a Whig and after

the formation of the Republican party as a Republican organ until 1858 when it was consolidated with the Fulton Patriot and a partnership was formed in the publication with Hon EK Sanford who was a member of the State Senate from the 21st district in 1862 and 1863 Mr Williams continued in active service on the paper until 1865 when he went South and spent thirteen months until January 1867 on sugar plantations in Louisiana and Alabama personally studying the situation In 1868 he returned and established the Fulton Times which he still conducts It has been generally independent in politics until recent years when it advocated and now continues to advocate Greenback sentiments His son WE Williams the local editor of the paper has given it considerable reputation throughout the State for the wit and humor of his paragraphs Mr Williams has not held any public office heretofore He was elected last fall on the National Greenback Labor Reform ticket to the Assembly by a plurality of 40 over Oliver Breed Republican Francis M Baker Democrat and Austin M Eoe Prohibitionist 166.
State Government for 1879 - Memorial Volume of the New Capitol