Samuel May Williams

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Samuel May Williams (October 4, 1795 – September 13, 1858)[1] was a businessman, politician, and close associate of Stephen F. Austin.

Biography

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he settled in New Orleans in 1819, and then moved to Texas in 1822.[1] The next year he was employed by Stephen F. Austin as a translator and clerk. Over the next few years he fulfilled various roles including postmaster, revenue collector, and secretary to the ayuntamiento of San Felipe, for which he received land totaling 49,000 acres.[1] In 1835 he was branded a revolutionary for raising funds to oppose Antonio López de Santa Anna, at which point he moved back to the United States. He created a business with Thomas F. McKinney[2] that helped raise money for the Texas Revolution of the mid-1830s. 1835 saw Williams representing the Brazos district in the Coahuila and Texas Legislature. In 1839 he represented Galveston County in the lower house of the Congress of the Republic of Texas. In 1848, as H.H. Williams and Company, he opened the Commercial and Agricultural Bank of Galveston,[1] which was the first incorporated bank in Texas.[2]

Legacy

Williams' contributions in the areas of finance and business greatly aided the Republic of Texas. He was among the founders of Galveston, Texas[2] and is considered the founder of the Texas Navy.[3] The house he built in 1839 is on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Henson, Margaret Swett. "WILLIAMS, SAMUEL MAY". The Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved October 26, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nichols, Ruth G. (October 1952). "Samuel May Williams". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly LVI. 
  3. ↑ "Samuel May Williams Home". Texas Independence Trail. Retrieved October 26, 2012. 
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