Billings, William, 1827-1909

William Billings was born in Ripton, Addison County, VT on October 27, 1827. At the age of 19 he left home on a whaling vessel. When in arrived as the Sandwich Islands in 1848, he left the vessel and remained there for a year. Hearing of the discovery of gold in California in 1849, he went to San Francisco where he stayed for about 3 months before traveling to Portland, OR. He arrived in Portland in July 1849 and remained until 1851. In 1851 he moved to Olympia, WA where he made his home. From 1852-1854 he was Superintendent of the Puyallup Indian Reservation. In 1860 he was elected Sheriff of Thurston County and was reelected to the office for 24 years. At one time during this period he served and held the combined authority of Deputy U.S. Marshal, Sheriff of Thurston County and City Marshal of Olympia. In 1877 he contracted with the Territory to build a jail at his own expense, take all the prisoners as soon as convicted, care for, board, clothe and protect them during their confinement at the price of seventy cents each per day. He was permitted to use the prisoners' services in any way he saw fit. He built his jail at Seatco, started a cooper establishment, developed a coal mine and organized the Seatco Manufacturing Company for making sash, doors and blinds, continuing this contract labor for a term of nine years. When Washington became a state, the contract was terminated. Billings was married twice and had a total of 7 children. William Billings passed away in 1909.