SOURCE:OWEN COUNTY JOURNAL 1874-1875
William F. Williams, Sen. was born in Fort Knox, Knox county, Indiana, 
December 27, 1803. His parents moved to what is now Sullivan county, 
with five other families named, Haddans, Black, Ledgewood, Purcel and 
Holder, where they lived in Haddon's Fort for three years in the midst 
of the Indians. Was married to Mary Pagett, December 19, 1822, by whom 
he had twelve children eight of whom, five sons and three daughters, 
are now living, and four are dead. All the children are living on 
adjoining farms, in Franklin and Jefferson townships, Owen county. 
Their farms contain eighteen hundred and fifty acres of land, lying 
along White River in Owen and Greene counties. Has had thirty-five 
grand children, and has been living in Owen county thirty-seven years. 
He had a good start in the world. When first married hired out for a 
year to Solomon Wolfe -- an uncle of Jake -- at eight dollars a month; 
bought two wild steers, broke them and tended the first crop on Government 
land. Was married in a log cabin where Linton in Greene county now 
stands.The nearest settlement was ten miles off. The "wedding cake" 
was made by shelling corn with a wooden mortar and pounding it into 
meal with an iron wedge. Has lost his good wife and is living on the 
old farm with his two youngest sons. Feels thankful to the Great Giver 
that life is still spared him. Used to wear buckskin clothes and do 
all the grinding on a hand-mill. Mr. Williams was seventy years old 
last December and claims to be the oldest man now living who was born 
in the State. He is one of those hardy old pioneers whose life is a 
complete history, whose beginning dates back for generations, and with 
men, many of whom have long since passed away from earth. He is one of 
the few who have been spared to relate the tales of olden times, and 
now he enjoys the fruits of an easy life of labor and honest dealing -- 
an abundance of this worlds comforts and the honor respect of his 
fellow men 
BIOGRAPHY SUBMITTER:Pamela Meyer