Williams, James, 1832-1887

James Williams was born on a farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, c. 1834. During the 1850s he lived in Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, and Colorado where he worked in farming, mining, and the lumber business. In 1863 he moved to Montana and went into the livery business. Williams later moved to Nevada Territory where he very briefly raised stock before returning to Virginia City, Montana Territory.

Williams, along with Paris Pfouts and Wilbur Fisk Sanders formed the executive committee of the Montana Vigilance Committee, organized in December 1863. The vigilantes had hanged all of Henry Plummer's gang, "the Innocents," by the spring of 1864.

In 1871 Williams was elected county commissioner of Madison County, serving until 1873, when he resigned to run for sheriff. Williams lost the election, and ranched in Montana until his death in 1887.