Gaston, Joseph. "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912." Vol. 4. Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 720. RANSOM DAYTON WILLIAMS one of the representative agriculturists and substantial citizens of Scotts valley, owns a ranch of one hundred and twenty-one acres which he leases and devotes his attention to the operation of a farm of three hundred acres as a renter. He was born in Douglas county, this state, on the 14th of April, 1865, the day Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. His parents were George L. and Mary (Harris) Williams, the former a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Howard county, Missouri. In 1854, when but sixteen years of age, George L. Williams came to Oregon on a vessel which rounded Cape Horn. The mother of our subject crossed the plains in company with her mother in 1852, her father who had planned the trip to Oregon, having passed away and having been buried the day before they began their journey. George L. Williams, who came direct to Douglas county, was fairly well educated for a youth of his years and after continuing his studies here for one or two terms he began teaching, following that profession for several years in the Yoncalla valley and becoming one of the well known instructors of that period. Subsequently he took up a homestead just east of Yoncalla and continued to reside thereon until his demise in July, 1871, passing away as the result of scarlet fever at the comparatively early age of thirty-three years. The maternal grandmother of R. D. Williams also located in Douglas county on coming to Oregon and soon thereafter wedded Thomas Pollock, who erected the first gristmill in that county. R. D. Williams, who lost his father whew still but a child, has depended entirely upon, his own resources since the early age of ten. He was practically reared by the Applegate family, finding employment with its members for several years. It was in 1884 that William Schroeder, a prominent stockman, took him into eastern Oregon and there employed him for one year. During the following year Mr. Williams worked for Devine & Todhunter, stockmen of eastern Oregon. In the fall of 1886, in the interests of his employers, he went east with a trainload of cattle shipped to the Chicago market. Returning to the west, he stopped at Shoshone, Idaho, and there entered the service of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, following railroading for four years. In 1891 he returned to Douglas county, where he has since devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits and where he owns a farm of one hundred and twenty-one acres in Scotts valley. He leases this property, however, and cultivates a rented tract of three hundred acres in the vicinity. As an agriculturist he has won a gratifying measure of prosperity and he has long been numbered among the successful and influential citizens of his community. In 1892 Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss, Nellie Wilson, of Tehama county, California, by whom he has four children, namely: Ruth, Roy, Rachel and Ransom. All are still at home. Mr. Williams gives his political allegiance to the republican party and belongs to the following fraternal organizations: Alpha Lodge, No. 170, 1. 0. 0. F.; Umpqua Camp, No. 77, A. 0. U. AV.; and Yoncalla Tent, No. 63, K. 0. T. M. As a native son of Oregon and a representative citizen of Douglas county he well deserves mention in this volume. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.