An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 222-223.

GRIFFITH E. WILLIAMS, deceased. The subject of the following memoir, late of The
Dalles, Oregon, was a prosperous and progressive merchant of that city. He was
born in Wales about 1835, the son of Evan and Phoebe (Roberts) Williams. Both of
the parents died when our subject was nine years of age, and he came to the
United States with his brothers and sisters, arriving at the port of New
Orleans. The father of our subject was a farmer near Bedd-Gelert, of an ancient
and distinguished family in Wales. The father was a life-long student, and
possessed considerable literary ability. On the death of the parents of our
subject the estate was sold and the proceeds divided among the children, of whom
there were nine. The share of Griffith E. Williams supported and educated him
until he was thirteen years of age. At that period he left his brother and
learned the trade of a cabinet-maker, which he successfully followed in
Dodgeville, Wisconsin, until 1852, when he crossed the plains with a brother,
Robert B., who died en route.      

Our subject continued on to Portland, Oregon, where he found employment in a
sawmill, remaining two years, at which period the mill was destroyed by fire. He
had drawn but little of his two years' earnings, and he lost it all. He then
purchased a cayuse and outfit and went to Yreka, California, where he was
employed two years building cabins for the miners in that locality. Returning to
Oregon he was employed in different mills in that state, and in 1862 went to The
Dalles, accompanied by his wife, and for many years subsequently was in the
employment of the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company, engaged in car building.
At the same period he was associated with Mr. Edward Wingate in the hardware
business, the latter conducting the enterprise while our subject remained in the
employment of the company. The business, however, soon increased to an extent
warranting the attention of both gentlemen, and he assumed an active management
of the affairs of the hardware firm. On the death of Mr. Wingate he continued
the business for himself and widow of his former partner. Gradually the hardware
store was merged into a general merchandise business. Mr. Williams died March 6,
1886. He was a member of the city council and throughout life was a stanch
Republican.      

At Beaver Creek, near Oregon City, May 26, 1860, Mr. Williams was married to
Anna M. Marshall, born in London, England, March 26, 1846. She was the daughter
of George and Mary Spencer Marshall, the father a native of Staffordshire, and
the mother of Hull, England. The father died at Southampton, England, when Mrs.
Williams was six years of age. Her maternal grandfather was a gentleman farmer,
and his daughter, the mother of Mrs. Williams, passed many years in Paris. There
she married and lived four years longer, then returned to England with her
husband. He died in Southampton, England, when subject was about six years old.
They came to the United States, the widow and children, settled in Chicago,
remaining until 1852 when the mother married William Harmon. They then crossed
the plains, the party consisting of subject, three brothers, mother and
step-father. The journey to The Dalles occupied six months and ten days. Indians
stole their horses and their cattle died for want of water. The party wearily
walked the last six hundred miles, having only one yoke of cattle left. The
mother, being crippled, rode with a two year old step-child in the one remaining
wagon. They were scantily provided with provisions, had endured many hardships,
yet withal they arrived at The Dalles in comparatively good health. Pushing, on
to Portland they remained two weeks, and then located at Oregon City. Here the
step-father, who was a skilled mechanic, procured employment in a foundry and
blacksmith shop. He was a distinguished temperance worker, and was known as
"Father Harmon" throughout the northwest. He died in 1890. Mrs. Williams has two
brothers living, john Marshall, former chief engineer of the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation Company, now retired, engaged in the real estate business in
Portland; and Edward T., of Sturgis City, North Dakota. Our subject left nine
surviving children, Jeanette, wife of Arthur G. Dunn, of the firm of Ainsworth &
Dunn, Seattle; Edward M., mentioned elsewhere; Griffith C., of Spokane; Mary E.,
married to Russell E. Sewell; an attorney at Portland; Annie G., wife of H.W.
French, of Wapinitia; Pearl E., wife of Dr. George Marshall; Carl P., of The
Dalles; Robert A., a student at the college of Physicians and Surgeons, New York
City; Florence J., living at home; Grace (deceased). Mrs. Williams has one
sister, Mary E., widow of Webster A. Clark, of Chicago.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.