Los Angeles County
Biographies
WILLIAM J. WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS, WILLIAM J., Attorney-at-Law, Los Angeles, California, was born May 10, 1864 at Cavanville, Ontario, Canada, the son of William Williams and Mary (Brennan) Williams. He was married to Lena G. Meade at Washington, D. C., and has one child, a daughter, Esther Dorothy Williams.
Mr. Williams studied at the public schools in various towns of the Province of Ontario, Canada, and when he had finished his primary education, entered the University of Toronto. He took a complete course, getting his degree as Bachelor of Arts after four years, and two years later his Bachelor of Laws. He was admitted to the practice of law, made “Solicitor and Barrister” by the Law Society of Upper Canada, June, 1890.
The firm of Mulock, Miller & Company, of Toronto, made a place for him, and he prepared cases and argued before the courts of that city until 1893. He meanwhile saw an opportunity in Southern California, where there is a large and influential Canadian colony. He made the move in the fall of 1893, and after a little preliminary preparation, in order to adapt his knowledge to the American legal forms, he was admitted to practice in the courts of California. He associated himself with George I. Cochran under the firm name of Cochran & Williams.
The firm did an extensive business from the start, specializing in land matters. In the year 1906, Mr. Cochran resigned in order to accept the presidency of the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, one of the largest institutions of the kind in the country. Mr. Williams, in order to take better care of the extensive affairs of the firm, associated himself with Herbert J. Goudge, Norman Williams and Charles L. Chandler, under the firm name of Williams, Goudge & Chandler, which is one of the large legal firms of the city today. Mr. Williams’ practice has been and now is largely devoted to the organization and care of corporations, principally those organized in connection with land and water development. He has launched some of the most important corporations in the State.
Of late years his legal knowledge has been largely devoted to the management of his own properties and to the corporations in which he is himself a stockholder. He saw in Southern California, like many of the other now prominent men, unusual opportunities in land and water development, and his surplus capital has gone into these channels.
He organized and is President of the Citizens’ Water Company of San Jacinto, a system that supplies water to the City of San Jacinto, as well as to the agricultural territory surrounding. He is Vice President of the San Jacinto Land Company, which is one of the biggest owners of valuable lands in that vicinity. He is a director of the Middle River Navigation and Canal Company, and is a director of the Rindge Land and Navigation Company, one of the richest corporations on the Pacific Coast, which owns many miles of territory abutting on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and which operates fruit and cattle ranches, steamship lines and other enterprises.
He is one of the directors of the Artesian Water Company, the Maclay Rancho Water Company, the Development Building Company, and also of the Cotenants Company.
Mr. Williams has been active in public affairs, but has had no ambition to hold public office. He supports every movement for the beautification and betterment of the cities of Southern California.
He is a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of the Pentalpha Lodge No. 202, the Shriners, and of several other secret societies. He also holds membership in the California Club and the Annandale County Club.
Transcribed 3-14-10
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 386, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2010 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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