Person:John Williams (433)

1910 Pottsville Ward 7, Schuykill Co, PA Federal Census

Williams, John H 62 PA Susie L 54 PA Dartholeman, Minnie 25

1920 Pottsville Ward 7, Schuykill Co, PA Federal Census

Williams, John H 72 PA Susan L 62 PA

1930 Pottsville, Schuykill Co, PA Federal Census

Williams, John H 82 PA Susan L 72 PA

HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA             with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches            of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers.          New York: W. W. Munsell & Co., 36 Vesey Street, 1881          Press of George Macnamara, 36 Vesey Street, N.Y.

  A  self-made  man, one of the youngest business  men  in  the county,  and the leading dealer in his line in the coal  regions, is  John H. Williams, better known as "Williams the  Hatter,"  at the  corner of North Center and Market streets, Pottsville.  Born in  Salem, Ohio, April 15th, 1848, he is, at the age  of  thirty- three, as the result of his own energy, industry and  enterprise, at  the head of such a business as men have toiled for until  old age  came  upon  them, and toiled in vain.  His  father  was  Dr. Benjamin  Williams,  a physician of large practice, who  died  in Rock Island City, Illinois, in 1856, at the age of  thirty-seven. His mother, formerly Miss Esther Smith, is living in Sharpsburgh, Pa.  The untimely death of Dr. Williams broke up the family,  and John H., then only eight years old, went to live with his  grand- mother, where he busied himself about four years doing farm  work and attending a country school.  Early in his boyhood his  adven- turous spirit asserted itself.  His mind was ever reaching out to the  great  unknown world in which he believed he  had  a  useful career.   At the age of thirteen he ran away from home and  found himself in Pittsburgh, Pa., without means or friends and entirely upon his own meager resources.  He sought employment, for he  had never  been an idle boy, and secured a place as cash boy  in  the store  of  H.J. Lynch, where in about three months  his  manifest capacity  for  business won him a promotion to  the  position  of salesman.   In  1863  he entered the wholesale  notion  house  of McCrum  & Glyde, in the capacity of salesman, and remained  there until, in 1864, his youthful daring and love of adventure prompt- ed  him to offer his services as drummer boy to Company A of  the 45th Pennsylvania volunteers.  He was accepted, and served  until mustered  out  with such of his comrades as were  living  at  the close of the war.  Returning to Pittsburgh he found employment in the fall of 1865 in the dry goods house of White, Orr & Co., with whom  he  remained until the following spring, when  he  found  a better  position with the firm of Hughes & Hackey.  Here  he  was employed about a year, leaving to engage for a time in other than mercantile  pursuits.  But his destiny was to become a  merchant, and  he  could not long absent himself from behind  the  counter. The  great  city of New York offered inducements to  one  of  his progressive enterprise, and thither he turned his steps in  1867, and  obtained a situation as salesman with Foster  Brothers,  dry good merchants on Eighth avenue.  A better position being offered him  in  the dry goods house of Leder & Brother, 340  Bowery,  he entered the service of that firm six months later.  In 1869, when the  coal region offered rare opportunities for enterprising  men of  all  professions  and occupations, Mr.  Williams  removed  to Pottsville, where he was employed in the well remembered dry good store of J. Galland & Co., until April, 1870.  At the latter date he  established his present business on a small scale,  but  with reference  to  those financial principles  which,  governing  its management  since, have placed it foremost among  the  mercantile houses of the Schuylkill coal region.  The credit which  attaches to any man who makes his own way in the world, from childhood  to a  position  of responsibility and business  prominence,  belongs justly  to Mr. Williams, whose portrait appears in  these  pages. Honesty,  industry, economy, extension and advancement have  been his  watchwords.   As a business man he enjoys  unbounded  confi- dence,  as a citizen he identifies himself with projects for  the public benefit.  As an example to the youth of the county of what a boy with the right stuff in him may accomplish he stands preem- inent.   He  was married February 28th, 1872, to  Miss  Susie  L. Wardle, daughter of William G. Wardle, of Pottsville

NCN, 15 Jan 1934

John H. Williams

Mrs. Mary Pattison, 718 Court St, received word of the death of her brother, John H Williams, aged 86 at his home in Pottsville on Friday, 12 Jan, following a heart attack. He is survived by his wife and 2 sisters, Mrs. Pattison of this city and Mrs. Rebecca Jones of Indianapolis, IN Funeral service will be held Tuesday afternoon at Pottsville.