JAMES H. WILLIAMS was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, February 18, 1828, and is the youngest of the seven children born to Elijah and Elizabeth (Hanna) Williams, natives respectively of Maine and Pennsylvania. Elijah Williams moved to Guernsey County in 1811, served as a Sergeant through the war of 1812, under Gen. Harrison, was married in his adopted county, and there died May 27, 1828, in his forty second year, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. About two years after the death of Mr. Williams and his widow moved to Licking County, Ohio, bought 100 acres of land, resided thereon until 1866, and then made her home with her son, James H., until her death, April 6,, 1874, in her eighty seventh year, and for more than seventy years a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. At the age of sixteen, James H. Williams was apprenticed for five years to a carpenter. He then worked as a journeyman in Columbus until 1851, and then in a I saw mill until 1853. He then assisted in the survey of the route of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway through Southern Ohio, and later took a contract, with his brother, for building two miles of said road. In 1854, they bought 100 acres of land in Licking County, on a part of which the present town of Summit is situated, and there lived until April, 1861, our subject being employed as conductor on the Baltimore & Ohio road from 1856 to 1859. In April, 1861, Mr. Williams came to Union Township, this county, and farmed until the spring of 1864, when he came to this township and purchased 200 acres of land, which he afterward traded for Western land, and bought his present farm. In 1849, he married Nancy McCray, a native of Franklin County Ohio, who has borne him eight children, six yet living,. Mr. Williams is a Democrat, and has held the office of Township Assessor; he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, and both himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.

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