Royal Seneca Williams 1824-1900

WILLIAMS

Posted By: CHERYL MOONEN (email)
Date: 6/19/2018 at 19:45:38

R.S. WILLIAMS -- The Wyoming Historical Museum is housed in the “Williams Hotel” that was built by Royal Seneca Williams in 1878. “R.S. Williams”, as he was known, was born October 1, 1824 in Chesterfield, Massachusetts. He came to Wyoming, Iowa about 1860. On September 6, 1862, at the age of 38, R. S. Williams joined Company K of the 24th Regiment that was sworn in at Wyoming. He fought in the Union Army during the Civil War, and was wounded at Cedar Creek, VA. R.S. Williams mustered out of the army as a Full First Lieutenant on June 18, 1865. Returning to Wyoming, he and his wife Jennie raised four children, and he worked as a contractor, builder, and brick mason. R.S. Williams became the first successful brick maker in the area and had his own brick factory which was located in and around the parking lot of the present Lutheran Church. Brick was made from native clay found in the Wyoming area. Many of the brick buildings in Wyoming were built by R.S. Williams, including the large hotel located on Wyoming’s Main Street. The Williams Hotel has been the home of The Wyoming Historical Museum since 1988