JAMES M. WILLIAMSON

WILLIAMSON

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/23/2020 at 13:46:40

JAMES M. WILLIAMSON, who resides on section 8, Colony township (Nevinville postoffce), was born in Scotland September 27, 1846. He came to America in 1855, and resided in Warren and Erie counties, Pennsylvania, fifteen years; he was there when oil was first struck. He removed to Adams county in 1870, and settled where he now resides.

His father, James M. Williamson, an educated Scotchman who is now seventy-one years old, lives with his son James M.

The mother’s name was Margaret Kitchen; she also was born in Scotland in 1818, and died July 8, 1888. There were eight children, six of whom are living. James M. is the oldest son, but has two sisters older than himself, one of whom resides in New York, the other in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Williamson was married November 24, 1874, to Alice A. Ball, who was born in Connecticut, October 30, 1841, the daughter of genuine Yankees. The ceremony took place in Colony township. Mrs. Williamson was for many years a successful teacher. Mr. Williamson has always been a farmer of the progressive type, and has some very fine stock.

In politics he is a Democrat. He has held the offices of township Trustee and Treasurer for several terms, and has discharged the duties of his position with satisfaction to the people and credit to himself. He has eighty acres of land which is also adapted to stock-raising. His house, which is pleasantly situated, is 22 x 28 feet, one and a half stories,with an L 10x14 feet; the barn is 24 x 80, and both have stone foundations. There are five acres of artificial grove of evergreen and deciduous trees, two acres of orchard, one acre and a half of vineyard from which he sold four years ago ten tons of grapes and an abundance of small fruit. He has a herd of graded shorthorn cattle, some high-grade Clydesdale horses, a flock of seventy-five sheep which are not excelled in the State, of the Cotswold breed; the average weight of fleece is eleven and a quarter pounds, and one fleece weighed nineteen pounds. He keeps quite a number of bees and has at present forty hives of pure Italian bees. He is now engaged in building a
bee house.

Mr. Williamson is one of the substantial men of Adams county, an open, frank, outspoken gentleman who is wide awake to the best interests of the county in which he lives, and is respected by all who know him.