Title: Erastus Appleman Williams
Dates: 1878-1969
Collection Number: 00738
Quantity: 161 items
Abstract: Consists of portraits of E. A. Williams and his family members. His wife’s family, the Hettingers, also have portraits in the collection. Photos of family friends, Christmas card photos, and photos of early Bismarck (DT and ND) are also present.
Provenance: The collection was transferred to the Photo Archives from the Erastus Appleman Williams Papers (MSS 10048). The State Historical Society of North Dakota obtained the Erastus Appleman Williams Papers from Mrs. Roy S. Towne at an unknown date. Gregory S. Camp prepared the inventory to the Erastus Appleman Williams Papers in August, 1986.
Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyrights: Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Related Collections: MSS 10048
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
There are few people in the history of North Dakota who figured as prominently in the political and economic establishment of the state as Erastus Appleman Williams. Born to Daniel R. and Matilda Appleton Williams on October 14, 1850 in Mystic, Connecticut, Erastus spent the majority of his youth in his home state, as well as Illinois and Wisconsin. At an early age, Williams expressed interest in the bar as a future occupation. After he received his legal training at the University of Michigan, he was admitted to the bar in Freeport, Illinois in 1871. That same year Williams moved to Yankton, Dakota Territory where he practiced law. In 1872, Williams accepted the opportunity to move to the future site of Bismarck, then a railroad camp on the east side of the Missouri River known as Edwinton. He traveled north from Yankton with a group of railroad employees, and even took his turn as armed guard on the lookout for hostile Sioux Indians. Williams’ arrival in northern Dakota Territory marked the beginning of a colorful career in many fields of endeavor.
Erastus Appleman Williams held jobs in a wide variety of professions. Upon his arrival in Bismarck in 1872, the Northern Pacific Railroad Company hired him on as land surveyor and agent. To Williams' surprise, he was elected to the lower House of the Territorial Assembly within a few months of his arrival. A short two years later, Williams was elected to the Territorial Council. By 1875, the railroad camp known as Edwinton was renamed Bismarck. It was at that time that Williams began his law practice. He was, in fact, the first attorney to hang a law sign advertising his profession in what then comprised the town of Bismarck. As the decade of the 1880s approached, Williams was a familiar part of the Dakota Territorial political and business scene.
In 1883, Williams was once more elected to public office. Elected to the Dakota Territory House of Representatives that year, Williams' fellow solons chose him as the Speaker of the House. Williams was re-elected to the Territorial House in 1885, and again in 1887. In 1899, he was a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives. Seven years later, Williams again served as a Speaker of the House, this time for the State of North Dakota. Erastus Williams' service as a politician in North Dakota's lower legislative body continued into the 20th century when he was re-elected for consecutive terms in 1911, 1913, and 1915. Highly successful in politics, Williams proved himself in other endeavors as well.
In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison appointed Williams as the United States Surveyor-General for North Dakota. He served in this capacity until 1894. In 1898, President William McKinley reappointed Williams to the same position. Williams continued as surveyor-general until the position was eliminated in June 1908. As a result of his experiences in politics and land development, Williams was an active participant in the construction and development of both Dakota Territory and North Dakota proper. In a less spectacular way, Williams and his family contributed to the social life of Bismarck.
In 1882, Erastus Appleman Williams married Jennie Hettinger and together they made their home in Bismarck. The couple had known each other during their years in Freeport, Illinois. The Williams had five children: Eva, Odessa, Matilda, Erastus, Jr., and Alice. Mrs. Williams died after a four-day illness in April 1894, however, and left her husband to care for their young children. During her short life in Bismarck, Jennie became involved in a number of social organizations. Likewise, Erastus was a member of the Masons and Knights Templar; Mr. Williams was also a Presbyterian. Erastus Appleman Williams died on March 26, 1930, at the age of 79. He left a considerable legacy of participation and service to the state. The state recognized Williams' contributions several times during his lifetime. Funeral services for the "General" were held in the House Chambers in Bismarck and were attended by family, friends, and an array of then past and present politicos.
Sources:
Compendium of History and Biography, (Chicago, George A. Ogle and Company, 1900), pp. 1296-1299
W. B. Hennesey, History of North Dakota, pp. 439-440
Bismarck Tribune, April 27, 1894
Ibid., March 26, 1930
Ibid, March 27, 1930.
INVENTORY
00738-00001 Dan Williams and two unidentified men circa 1887
00738-00002 Brewery, Bismarck (N.D.). A view of Bismarck's first brewery. The brewery was constructed in 1885 and was owned by the Milwaukee Brewing Company. circa 1890
00738-00003 Northern Pacific Railroad bridge opening at Bismarck, N.D.. A crowd of people and carriages gather for the opening of the Northern Pacific Railroad bridge between Bismarck and Mandan, N.D. Completed for $1.1 million, the bridge was designed and built by George S. Morison for the Northern Pacific Railroad and opened October 21, 1882. Three iron and steel trusses soared 50 feet above the river on piers 400 feet apart. The bottom of the deepest pier rests 60 feet below the surface. The bridge was designed to carry two 75-ton locomotives pulling 30 cars carrying 20 tons each. New steel trusses were installed in 1905 at a cost of $500,000. The bridge is now 70 feet above the river and 1,525 feet long. 1882
00738-00004 North Dakota State Penitentiary, Bismarck (N.D.). A view of the main building at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck. A horse and carriage are visible in a small white building at left. Land was appropriated for a territorial penitentiary to be located in Bismarck in 1881. The penitentiary opened for its first prisoners near Bismarck in 1885.
00738-00005 North Dakota State Penitentiary, Bismarck (N.D.). A view of the main building at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck. Land was appropriated for a territorial penitentiary to be located in Bismarck in 1881. The penitentiary opened for its first prisoners near Bismarck in 1885.
00738-00006 North Dakota State Penitentiary with barn, Bismarck (N.D.). A view of the main building at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck. A small white barn on the prison grounds is also visible in the foreground. Land was appropriated for a territorial penitentiary to be located in Bismarck in 1881. The penitentiary opened for its first prisoners near Bismarck in 1885
00738-00007 Vacant number X
00738-00008 J. A. Emmons Liquor, Drug Store, and J. W. Raymond Company, Bismarck (D.T.) 1874
00738-00009 Merchants Hotel, Main Avenue, Bismarck (D.T.) circa 1878
00738-00010 Aftermath of downtown fire, Bismarck (N.D.) 1898
00738-00011 E.A. Williams standing among rubble after the downtown fire, Bismarck (N.D.) 1898
00738-00012 Evelyn Hoefer's room at college. Evelyn was the oldest daughter of E. A. Williams circa 1900
00738-00013 Andrew Peterson, Ole Holtan, Ole Gradine, Allen MacDonald, all from Washburn (N.D.) circa 1898
00738-00014 Main Street, Bismarck (D.T.) circa 1875
00738-00015 One of E. A. Williams' first offices, Bismarck (D.T.) circa 1880
00738-00016 Main Street, Bismarck (D.T.) circa 1880
00738-00017 James M. Dailey, Sheriff campaign portrait circa 1930
00738-00018 Charles Bailey portrait. Age 80 or 81 circa 1870
00738-00019 Girl holding a cat (Chas. W. Lawver photograph, Freeport, IL) circa 1880
00738-00020 Unidentified young girl, possibly Matilda Towne circa 1930
00738-00021 Roy Salem Towne Jr. and Matilda Towne circa 1930
00738-00022 Roy Salem Towne Jr. and Matilda Towne circa 1930
00738-00023 Matilda Towne circa 1930
00738-00024 Matilda Towne circa 1930
00738-00025 Nancy Dollar, 4 years old circa 1930
00738-00026 Child circa 1930
00738-00027 Boy reading a book circa 1930
00738-00028 Roy Salem Towne Jr. baby portrait 1927
00738-00029 North Dakota State Capitol, Bismarck (N.D.) circa 1880
00738-00030 Yellowstone Kelly. Luther Kelly circa 1885
00738-00031 Yellowstone Kelly. Luther Kelly 4/1890
00738-00032 Man in military uniform circa 1900
00738-00033 Bessie Gund Firestone, age 7 ½, Sister of Margaret Graham circa 1890
00738-00034 Malcolm Ford, nephew of E. A. Williams circa 1890
00738-00035 Group photo, identified: Nettie Morgan, Flora Morgan, Louise Morgan Trueblood, Mrs. Francis Williams Ford, Malcolm Ford, E. A. Williams, Evelyn Hoefer, and Matilda Williams in Freeport (Ill.). 7/1894
00738-00036 Mrs. Francis William Ford. E. A. Williams' sister circa 1875
00738-00037 Possibly Malcolm Ford circa 1890
00738-00038 Buildings, including possibly a grain elevator or water tower circa 1900
00738-00039 Unidentified girl circa 1875
00738-00040 Left to right: Matthias Hettinger Jr., Eva Hettinger, Alice Hettinger (top), unidentified and unidentified circa 1890
00738-00041 Katherine Elizabeth Gund Hettinger. E. A. Williams' mother-in-law circa 1880
00738-00042 Mathias Hettinger circa 1880
00738-00043 J. W. Henney & Company's [Buggy] Carriage Works building and crew portrait, Freeport (Ill.) circa 1885
00738-00044 Left to right: Alice Williams Towne, Margaret Gund Graham and Matilda Williams circa 1890
00738-00045 Group of six women. Jennie Williams is fourth from left circa 1880
00738-00046 Steamboat circa 1890
00738-00047 Mrs. Joseph A. Emmons, first bride in Bismarck (D.T.) circa 1882
00738-00048 Unidentified, Roy Salem Towne Jr., Jane Towne and Alice Williams Towne circa 1969
00738-00049 Evelyn Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00050 Joe Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00051 Mathias Hettinger, Jr. circa 1890
00738-00052 Matilda Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00053 Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota circa 1890
00738-00054 Matilda Appleman Williams circa 1875
00738-00055 Robert Webster's two children in clown costumes, Christmas card 1954
00738-00056 The Christensen’s, Christmas card circa 1955
00738-00057 Etta reading to two children, Christmas card 1955
00738-00058 Alice Williams Towne 1972
00738-00059 Alice Williams Towne 1972
00738-00060 Alice Williams Towne 1972
00738-00061 Alice Williams Towne 1972
00738-00062 Alice Williams Towne 1972
00738-00063 Alice Williams Towne 1972
00738-00064 Robert Owen sketch copy XX/XXXX
00738-00065 Unidentified group of girls on lawn circa 1890
00738-00066 Alice Jennie Williams Towne. Mrs. R. S. Towne circa 1890
00738-00067 Alice Jennie Williams Towne. Mrs. R. S. Towne circa 1890
00738-00068 Entrance to unidentified park circa 1900
00738-00069 Ruth Gibbs Addison portrait. Wife of Dan Williams circa 1875
00738-00070 Matilda A. Williams (left) and Evelyn Williams Hoefer 1885
00738-00071 Dan Williams, seated, and unidentified man circa 1890
00738-00072 Matilda Appleman Williams. Mother of E. A. Williams circa 1875
00738-00073 Mrs. Ruth Gibbs, wife of Dan Williams circa 1890
00738-00074 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00075 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00076 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00077 Charles Reynold, scout with Custer circa 1880
00738-00078 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00079 Unidentified woman and child circa 1880
00738-00080 Nettie Morgan. Wife of Walter Morgan, sister of Dan and E. A. Williams circa 1930
00738-00081 Alice Jennie Williams, Evelyn Williams, and Matilda Williams circa 1890
00738-00082 Matilda Williams circa 1910
00738-00083 Unidentified man circa 1875
00738-00084 Unidentified woman circa 1880
00738-00085 Unidentified woman circa 1880
00738-00086 Mathias Hettinger circa 1915
00738-00087 E. A. Williams, Mrs. Francis Ford, and Nettie Morgan on lawn circa 1890
00738-00088 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00089 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00090 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00091 Owl portrait, “The Duke,” Bismarck (D.T.) circa 1880
00738-00092 Unidentified child circa 1875
00738-00093 Ruth Gibbs Williams, wife of Dan Williams circa 1880
00738-00094 Eva(?) Hettinger, Joseph Hettinger, Alice Hettinger, Bertha Bergnau (?), and unidentified woman, San Fernando (Calif.) circa 1930
00738-00095 Joseph Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00096 Mathias Hettinger Jr. (Ithaca, NY and Cornell University) circa 1880
00738-00097 Dan Williams circa 1880
00738-00098 E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00099 Man circa 1880
00738-00100 Matilda Appleman Williams circa 1880
00738-00101 Joseph Hettinger circa 1880
00738-00102 Minnie C. Gund circa 1895
00738-00103 Minnie C. Gund circa 1880
00738-00104 Unidentified man circa 1880
00738-00105 John Satterland circa 1880
00738-00106 Katherine Elizabeth Gund Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00107 Matilda Williams, Odessa Williams Wattam, Margaret Gund Graham, Alice Williams Towne, Edith Bergston circa 1900
00738-00108 Alice Williams Towne and Alice Towne Meyn 1967
00738-00109 Mrs. Dan Williams 1898
00738-00110 E. A. Williams and five children 1894
00738-00111 Eva Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00112 Unidentified infant portrait circa 1920
00738-00113 Erastus Appleman Williams circa 1900
00738-00114 Erastus Appleman Williams 1883
00738-00115 Daniel Rossiter Williams. E. A. Williams’s father circa 1870
00738-00116 Matilda Appleman Williams circa 1870
00738-00117 Jennie Hettinger Williams . Wife of E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00118 Fred Gund, brother-in-law of E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00119 Mathias Hettinger Jr. circa 1880
00738-00120 Torey Gund, Age 2 ½ years, brother of Fred Gund, worked on E. A. Williams’s survey crew circa 1880
00738-00121 Fred Gund. Age 4 ½ years, President of Cleveland West, died 1966 circa 1880
00738-00122 Evelyn Hettinger circa 1880
00738-00123 Matilda Appleman Williams circa 1880
00738-00124 E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00125 Mrs. Dan Williams circa 1880
00738-00126 Man circa 1880
00738-00127 Odessa Remington. Wife or daughter of Paul Remington circa 1880
00738-00128 Alice, Evelyn, and Matilda Williams, daughters of E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00129 E. A. Williams Jr. “Bud” baby portrait circa 1880
00738-00130 Louise Williams circa 1880
00738-00131 Nettie Williams Morgan circa 1880
00738-00132 Minnie Gund circa 1880
00738-00133 Nettie Williams. Sister of E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00134 Evelyn Hettinger (right) and unidentified . Sister of Jennie circa 1880
00738-00135 Nettie Morgan circa 1880
00738-00136 Evelyn Hettinger circa 1880
00738-00137 Matilda Appleton Williams. Mother of E. A. Williams circa 1880
00738-00138 William Ford, son of Mrs. Francis Ford circa 1880
00738-00139 Louise and Flora Morgan circa 1880
00738-00140 Joe Hettinger circa 1880
00738-00141 Matilda Appleton Williams. Mother of E. A. Williams circa 1890
00738-00142 Charles W. Lawver circa 1890
00738-00143 Hiram Appleman circa 1890
00738-00144 Evelyn Hettinger circa 1890
00738-00145 Alice Williams Towne circa 1890
00738-00146 Anna Matilda Larrafee of Clement (Iowa) 9/5/1900
00738-00147 Alice Williams Towne riding a donkey, Mexico 3/14/1962
00738-00148 Alice Williams Towne riding a donkey, Matilda and Helen Meyer wearing sombreros, Mexico 3/14/1962
00738-00149 Photo of Alice Williams Towne’s head overlaying an illustration of matador and bull, Mexico 3/14/1962
00738-00150 Half-sister of Odessa Remington portrait circa 1880
00738-00151 Matilda Williams and Evelyn Hoefer portrait 1885
00738-00152 Jennie Hettinger Williams circa 1880
00738-00153 E. A. Williams Jr. "Bud" circa 1880
00738-00154 Flower girl at Odessa Remington’s wedding circa 1880
00738-00155 Ida E. Lawver portrait 9/6/1890
00738-00156 E. A. Williams and children circa 188000738-00157 Unidentified man and animal on a spit circa 1880
00738-00158 Frederick H. Adams 1880
00738-00159 William H. Fellows 1885
00738-00160 Ole O. Haugerud circa 1885
00738-00161 Mrs. Marshall H. (Kate Templeton Woods) Jewell and her son Paul circa 1900
Address:
612 East Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505
Get Directions
Hours:
State Museum and Store: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F; Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
We are closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. We are closed at noon Christmas Eve if it falls on Mon.-Thurs. and are closed all day if it falls on Fri.-Sun.
State Archives: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F, except state holidays; 2nd Sat. of each month, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment, please contact us at 701.328.2091 or archives@nd.gov.
State Historical Society offices: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F, except state holidays.
Contact Us:
phone: 701.328.2666
email: history@nd.gov
Social Media:
See all social media accounts
