The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 15

F. A. WILLIAMS.

F. A. Williams, a banker and capitalist residing at Toppenish, was born in
Wahasha county, Minnesota, in 1860, a son of Zachariah and Ann (Elsey)
Williams, both of whom were natives of England, whence they came to the new
world when young people. They were pioneer settlers of Minnesota, removing with
ox teams to that state about the year 1840. and for a considerable period they
were closely identified with the development and upbuilding of Wabasha county.
The father has now passed away, but the mother is still living in Spokane at the
advanced age of eighty-eight years. She is a most wonderfully preserved woman
for one of her age, her intellectual faculties remaining unimpaired and she
keeps in close touch with the happenings of the day.

F. A. Williams acquired a public school education in his native state and
started upon his business career as an employe in a mercantile establishment.
The year 1884 witnessed his arrival in Washington, at which time he located in
Ellensburg and there embarked in business, organizing the Williams-Smithson
Company, a hardware concern. In later years he has extended his activities into
various other fields. He came to Toppenish in 1898 and on the 1st of August of
that year organized the Toppenish Trading Company, which was incorporated in
1908. In the latter year they removed to a new location, having a building one
hundred and forty by one hundred and ten feet. It is two stories and basement in
height and theirs is the oldest mercantile establishment of the city. Mr.
Williams started the business under a government license, his being the only
store allowed in Toppenish at that time. He has always conducted a department
store, carrying all lines of merchandise, and as the years have passed on the
trade of the house has constantly grown. At the time the business was started
Mr. Williams did most of the shipping of the produce raised in this section.
Land was leased to white people for the first time in the year in which Mr.
Williams took up his abode in Toppenish. He became the pioneer merchant of the
town and with the development and upbuilding of the city has been continuously
identified throughout all the intervening years. With the settlement of the
district his trade steadily grew until it has now assumed most gratifying and
extensive proportions. Mr. Williams remains the president of the company, with
Z. Y. Coleman as vice-president and general manager and William McGowan as
secretary and treasurer. The name of Mr. Williams has long been synonymous with
most progressive mercantile interests yet he has not confined his attention to
this field of activity alone. He has been the president of the First National
Bank of Toppenish since it was organized and he is also a director of the First
National Bank of Zillah. He is likewise a director of the Traders' State Bank of
Toppenish and is thoroughly familiar with every phase of the banking business
and with many problems that are continually arising in connection with banking
interests. He is the owner of a fine orchard of eighty acres and he also has one
thousand acres devoted to diversified farming. It is to his agricultural
interests that he is now devoting most of his time and attention. Mr. Williams
purchased the second tract of land that was sold by the government off the
Yakima reservation and all of his land is on the reservation near Toppenish. He
farms altogether fifteen hundred acres and is therefore classed with the leading
agriculturists of the state. He has likewise ventured into the newspaper field
and is now the owner of both papers of Toppenish - the Toppenish Review and the
Toppenish Tribune.

In 1887 Mr. Williams was married to Miss Clara Lynch, a daughter of Samuel Lynch
and a sister of J. Lynch, the former Indian agent. Mrs. Williams passed away in
1898, leaving a son Paul, who is now a student in the University of Washington.

In his fraternal connections Mr. Williams is an Elk, belonging to Lodge No. 318
of Yakima. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he is
a most loyal citizen who is now putting all of his investments into Liberty
Bonds. He cooperates in every possible way in the support of the government in
this crisis in the world's history and his aid and influence are always given on
the side of those projects which are a matter of civic worth. His business
career cannot fail to elicit admiration and praise from those who know aught of
his history. Starting out in life without any particular advantages, he early
came to a realization of the fact that industry is the sure foundation upon
which to build success. He early learned that success is as a will-o'-the-wisp
before the dreamer but surrenders its treasures to the man of resolute spirit
and determination. Another fact of which he early became cognizant was that
honesty is the best policy and thus he has combined industry and integrity in
his career to the attainment of results and position which are most enviable.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.