One of the well to do stockmen of Albany County, Wyoming whose residence is near Tie-Siding, about twenty eight miles southeast of the city of Laramie, is William Richard Williams. He is a native of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada where he was born in 1840, the son of Patrick and Mary (Wallace) Williams, natives of the same country. The father was born in 1807 and followed the occupation of farming in his native land up to the time of his decease at the age of eighty-nine years. He was the son of John Williams also a native of Nova Scotia who through all of his life was engaged in farming. The mother of Mr. Williams the subject of this sketch was born in 1814 being the daughter of John and Mary (Fenton) Wallace both natives of the same country. She was a remarkable woman who died in 1892 being mother of thirteen children, ten of whom are still living (1902). William Richard Williams the second child of his parents grew to man’s estate in his native Nova Scotia and received his early education in its schools. When he arrived at the age of twenty-one years he left the home of his parents and began life for himself. He first secured employment as a farm hand in the vicinity of his old home and continued to be thus occupied until 1867 when he set out for the distant city of Denver, then in the territory of Colorado. He remained there and in that vicinity for a short time and then came to Wyoming being engaged in lumbering for about five years and then located a ranch of 160 acres of grazing land beginning in a small way the business of raising cattle. In this venture he has met with marked success and has increased his land holdings from year to year until he is now the owner of a fine ranch of over 12,000 acres of land that is well fenced and improved with large and suitable buildings and he is counted as one of the most prosperous and successful stockmen and property owners in his section of Wyoming. He has a large herd of fine graded and thoroughbred cattle making a specialty of the Polled Angus and Galway breeds being more hardy and profitable than the ordinary grades of stock. By industry perseverance and good business judgement he has built up a large and lucrative business and is rapidly amassing a fortune. In 1872, Mr. Williams was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Keyes also a native of Nova Scotia and being a daughter of William and Sarah Jane (Logan) Keyes, both natives of the same country. To this union have been born seven children, Hattie, Rachel, Arthur, Chester, Harry, Stella and Earl, all of whom are living. The home is noted for its gracious and generous hospitality and it is a popular gathering place for their large circle of friends in the vicinity where they reside.
