Williams was born on September 8, 1841, in
Howard County, Missouri, to Frances E. Williams and Martha A. Talbot, both
Virginia natives. His family was described as "one of the most prominent in the state" by a newspaper, as his familial relation included
John Henry, a chief justice on the
Supreme Court of Missouri. He studied at
Central Methodist University and the
University of Missouri. He lived on his family's farm until he first pursued merchantry in March 1866. He became a banker on March 1, 1871, and on February 28, 1894, was made a receiver of the American National Bank of Springfield, after a cashier defaulted on their loans; He was a cofounder of Payne-Williams Bank, which he left in August 1906. A
Democrat, Williams won the
1900 Missouri State Treasurer election, serving State Treasurer of Missouri from 1901 to January 1905, as which he received an annual salary of $3,000. During his term, the state debt was repaid, after which Missouri citizens were given a tax cut. ==References==