An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 362
	
	S.O. WILLIAMS, one of the thriving young farmers of Walla Walla county,
Washington, was born in Miami county, Ohio, December 22, 1848. His father, John
Williams, was a native of New Brunswick, and married Maria Calvert, who was also
a native of New Brunswick, but who came to Ohio at an early day, and in 1854 to
Illinois, settling in Peoria, where she lived three years and then removed to
Iowa, where she resided until 1864. At that time our subject's father crossed
the plains with horses until he reached Boise City, where he traded his horses
for oxen, and thus finished his journey. He now lives in the city of Walla Walla
with his wife, both of whom are now well advanced in years. He owns a good farm
of 300 acres on Mill creek. They have had a family of thirteen children, and the
subject of this sketch is the third child.
	Our subject received only a common-school education, and remained at home
until he was twenty-one years of age, and then went into the freighting
business, going from Boise City and other points in Idaho. After being thus
occupied, he farmed for two years and rented land, and then took up a redemption
claim of 160 acres, improved it and lived there thirteen years. He then sold
this farm, for which he received $4,500. He then bought 360 acres, where he now
resides, paying $9,500 for the
	farm. At the present time our subject owns 660 acres of fine land on Dry
creek, six miles northeast of Walla Walla, and here he has built a fine
residence, at a cost of $1,500. In 1892 he raised 6,000 bushels of grain, that
being considered a very poor crop on account of the hot winds having cut it
short. An average crop is from 8,000 to 9,000 bushels a year.
	In the fall of 1870 our subject was married to Miss Ellen Buroker, who was
born in Ohio, a daughter of David and Sarah Buroker. Mr. Williams and wife
crossed the plains together when they both were children, and shared the
hardships together, little thinking of the events of after years. Four bright
little children have been born to them: Emma J., Effie, Jesse and Claud. Mr.
Williams has now become one of the leading farmers of this county. He is well
known and full of pleasant reminiscences of other days. Some of his tales of the
early singing-schools and merrymakings in the then new home are very
entertaining. He has now a fine herd of horses, thirty head of them, using many
on his farm. Five acres of his land is set out to orchard, and all the
conveniences of modern farming are to be found here.
	
Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer
	
	
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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.