Old Bill Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
"Old Bill" Williams
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Old Bill Williams by Alfred Jacob Miller
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| Born | January 3, 1787 |
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| Died | March 14, 1849 (aged 62) Southern Colorado along the Rio Grande
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| Cause of death | Killed by Ute warriors | ||||||||
| Burial place | Williams, Coconino County, Arizona | ||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||
| Occupation | Mountain man, trapper, guide, interpreter | ||||||||
| Spouse(s) | A-Ci'n-Ga, name means Wind Blossom | ||||||||
| Parent(s) | Joseph Williams, Sarah (Musick) Williams | ||||||||
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William Sherley "Old Bill" Williams (born January 3, 1787 – died March 14, 1849) was a famous mountain man and explorer. He was known for his skills in the American West. Bill worked as an interpreter for the government. He also led many trips across the western lands. He could speak several languages. He lived with the Osage people and later with the Ute people. He even married the daughter of an Osage chief.
Contents
About Old Bill Williams
His Early Life and Learning
Williams was born on January 3, 1787. This was in Polk County, North Carolina. He loved to explore new places. He learned how to trap animals for their furs. He also found he was very good at learning new languages.
When Bill was about eight years old, his family moved. They settled in what is now Missouri. His father, Joseph Williams, was invited there by the Spanish government.
His Career as a Frontiersman
Bill Williams became a very skilled fur trapper. He was also an excellent guide for trails. He learned to speak several Native American languages. He knew the customs of the tribes he spent time with.
During the War of 1812, he served in the military. He was a sergeant and scout with the Mississippi Mounted Rangers. As he met local tribes, he learned their languages. This made him very useful to the government. He helped with important talks between tribes and the military.
After his time in the military, Williams became a preacher. He worked with some Native American tribes. He moved west from Mississippi to new frontier areas. He lived with the Osage Indians in Missouri. Later, he lived with the Ute Indians. While with the Osages, he helped the Harmony Mission. He even translated parts of the Bible into the Osage language. He was also an interpreter for a treaty in 1825. This treaty was between the Osage and the United States.
His Family Life
Bill Williams married an Osage woman named A-Ci'n-Ga. Her name means "Wind Blossom." They had two daughters together. Bill became a part of the Osage community. He worked as a fur trapper. He never went back to living a European-American life himself. However, he did send his daughters to school in Kentucky. They were half-Osage. Many Native American tribes called Williams "Lone Elk."
His first daughter, Mary Ann, was born in 1814. His second daughter, Sarah, was likely born around 1816. After his wife A-Ci'n-Ga passed away, he sent his girls to school. Mary Williams later married John Allan Mathews. He was from Kentucky and traded with the Osage. After Mary died, Mathews married her younger sister, Sarah. Sarah Williams (Mathews) was the grandmother of a famous historian. This was John Joseph Mathews.
John Joseph Mathews, Bill Williams' great-grandson, became a well-known author. He wrote about the Osage people. He also served on the Tribal Council. In 1938, he helped start the Tribal Museum.
Later Adventures
By 1822, Bill Williams was working on his own. He trapped furs and guided travelers. He explored the far western frontier. He was respected by other mountain men. He worked with many famous people. These included Kit Carson and Joe Walker. He also worked with John C. Frémont on his fourth expedition. As a fighter, he had encounters with the Blackfeet, Apache, Comanche, and Modoc tribes.
Williams traveled through many places. These included Texas, California, and the Rocky Mountains. He also visited Yellowstone and the Santa Fe Trail. He explored Arizona and the Colorado River regions. Williams was with Joseph Walker's trip that found the Yosemite Valley. However, they did not go into it.
The Frémont Expedition
In November 1848, John C. Frémont asked Williams for help. Frémont wanted to find a path for a railroad through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Other mountain men had said no to Frémont. Williams agreed to lead the trip.
But once they were in the mountains, heavy snow began to fall early. Williams changed his mind. He warned the group not to continue. He told them to take a southern route instead. Frémont decided to keep going. The expedition failed in the San Juan Mountains. Ten members of the group died from hunger and cold.
His Death
Bill Williams died soon after this trip. He was 62 years old in March 1849. He was returning to Taos. He had been trying to find survivors from the failed expedition. During his journey, Ute warriors ambushed and killed him.
Legacy and Honors
"Old Bill" Williams is honored with an 8-foot-tall bronze statue. It was put up in 1980. You can find it in Bill Williams Monument Park in Williams, Arizona. Many places and groups in Arizona are named after him. These include the Bill Williams River and Bill Williams Mountain. The Bill Williams Mountain Men of Williams, Arizona, is also named for him. He was even played by Slim Pickens in a Disney TV series. It was called The Saga of Andy Burnett.
