An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 236.

HON. JOHN N. WILLIAMSON, congressman from the second district, Oregon, and a
prominent stock-raiser of Crook county, resides at The Dalles. He is a native of
Oregon, having been born in Lane county, November 8, 1855, the son of Joseph and
Minerva A. (Wilson) Williamson. The father, a native of Ohio, traversed the
plains with ox teams so early as 1852, and settled on a half section of donation
land in Lane county. His parents were Pennsylvanians, of an old and
distinguished American family of Scotch descent. Joseph Williamson died in 1869
at Salem, Oregon. The mother was a native of Indiana, was married in Iowa, and
one week later began the perilous journey across the plains with her husband.
She died in Portland, in 1901, at the age of seventy-three.      

The Willamette valley was the scene of our subject's youthful exploits, and when
he was eight years old his family removed to Salem. His education began in the
graded schools, and this was supplemented by a classical course in Willamette
University at Salem. In 1876 he removed to Prineville, then in Wasco county,
where he engaged in stock-raising and farming. From 1893 to 1896 he owned and
edited the Prineville Review, which he disposed of and returned to the stock
business. Mr. Williamson and his business partner, Dr. Van Gesner, own a stock
farm in Crook county, and winter from seven thousand five hundred to ten
thousand head of sheep. In 1886 he was elected sheriff of Crook County, serving
one term. In the spring of 1888 he was elected to the lower house of the state
legislature, served one term, and retired from the political field until 1898,
when he was returned to the legislative house of representatives, and in 1900
elected joint senator from the counties of Wasco, Crook, Lake and Klamath. In
the spring of 1902 Mr. Williamson was elected to congress from the second Oregon
district. He has been prominently identified with the Republican party since he
cast his first vote.      

For the purpose of educating his children our subject and his family reside
temporarily at The Dalles. He has one half brother, Jefferson F., a stock-raiser
in Malheur county; one sister, Anna, wife of S.E. Starr, a farmer residing near
Wasco; and one half sister, Sarah, widow of Dr. Jay W. Shipley, of Morrow
county. January 16, 1882, Mr. Williamson was married to Sarah V. Forrest, born
in Polk county, Oregon. The ceremony was solemnized at Albany, Oregon. Mrs.
Williamson's father, Moses Forrest, came to Oregon about 1852, crossing the
plains with ox teams, and taking a donation claim. He died a few months before
she was born. Her mother, Madelia (Neeley) Forrest, accompanied her husband
across the plains, and now resides at The Dalles, the wife of F.H. Wakefield.
Mrs. Williamson has one brother, Frank, a farmer and stock-raiser near
Prineville, and two half brothers, Edwin and Erwin, twins, Crook county stock
raisers. She has three sisters; Hettie, wife of J.L. Kelly, a farmer residing
near The Dalles; Ida and Effie, residing with their parents at The Dalles.      

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Williamson, Jennie F., Katie Z.
and Edra E., aged nineteen, seventeen and fourteen, respectively. They are
living at home. Our subject is a Scottish rite mason, of the thirty-second
degree, a member of Portland Consistory; Prineville Lodge, No. 76, A.F. & A.M.,
Al-Kader Temple. Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Portland; Prineville Lodge K.
of P., of which he is past C.C.; the A.O.U.W., and O.E.S., Prineville Chapter,
of which he is past patron. Mr. Williamson is one of the best known men in
Oregon, and has led an eventful and useful life, being a progressive,
broad-minded citizen, and patriotically interested in all that makes for the
welfare of his native state.

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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.