JOHN B. WILLIAMS

 

John B. Williams, proprietor of the Michigan Bar Pottery, was born in England April 7, 1844, his parents being J.S.B. and Hannah Elizabeth (Pawsey) Williams. The father was a physician, and the family is well connected, more especially on the mother’s side, several of her immediate relatives ranking pretty high in the East India Company. One of Mr. Williams’ cousins, a certain Mr. Simpson, who was in California in 1847, and went from here to Australia, is now the owner of many millions in England. J.B. Williams ran away from home in 1854, and went to sea in a vessel bound for St. John’s, New Brunswick, and went back in April or May 1856. He was then apprenticed to an uncle, George J. Pawsey, a brick-mason and builder. Early in 1858 he again ran away and went to New Zealand. Returning to England and his trade, he became a skilled workman in that line. Yielding once again to his roving disposition, he came to this country in 1861, but with no intention of making his home here, and after some wanderings went back to his home and settled down to work. Mr. Williams was married in England August 21, 1866, to Miss Susannah Sach, a daughter of John and Mary Ann (Bowtell) Sach. The father is still living in England, aged sixty-four, and the mother died there at the age of forty-seven. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Emma L., was born in England May 2, 1867. She is now doing business a dressmaker on her own account in San Francisco. Mr. Williams set out for America with a view to make it his permanent home in 1869, arriving in New York the day after Christmas, and getting to Chicago January 2, 1870. He worked at his trade in that city, and was there joined by his wife and child in June 1870. He grew with Chicago, and took contracts of various kinds in brick-work. The rebuilding of that city after the great fire of October 9, 1871, increased his opportunities, and he profited by them. In August 1874 he left Chicago for California and went into business in San Francisco in 1875 as contractor for sewer pipe and brick-work, and agent for supplies in those lines. Among other interests he became agent for the sale of the products of the Michigan Bar pottery and sewer-pipe manufactory, then owned by Mr. Addington. He leased the work in 1881, and bought them toward the close of 1884, coming to Michigan Bar as owner thereof on January 1, 1885. In April of that year he was seriously hurt in his left arm, which is still somewhat weak, and he occupies himself chiefly with the sale of the stoneware product of the pottery in the cities and villages of this section. The sewer pipe department he has leased to the San Francisco Sewer-Pipe Association. In 1888 he discovered a valuable surface deposit of fire-sand on an adjoining piece of land, and bought forty-five acres, of which twenty-five acres are covered with the deposit. He also owns ninety-five acres, including the Orr bank, which is thought to be the best clay in the State for the manufacture of stoneware. With his recent acquisition of fire-sand he is well equipped as to materials for sewer pipe, stoneware, fire-brick, as well as white and yellow ware. He will probably form a corporation for the more extensive production of those commodities in the near future. He owns twenty-two acres adjoining his other realty, but situated in Amador County. Of the 162 acres about eighty are devoted to general farming, a little fruit and the raising of some cattle and horses.