Williams, O. W. (Oscar Waldo), 1853-1946

Lawyer, surveyor, historian, and county judge Oscar Waldo Williams (1853-1946), originally from Kentucky, grew up in Carthage, Illinois, and attended school at Christian University in Canton, Missouri, and Bethany College in West Virginia. He earned a law degree from Harvard University in 1876.

Due to his contraction of tuberculosis, Williams moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1877 for its dry climate. He initially worked as a surveyor of public lands, including counties and cities in West Texas as well as the land that became the city of Lubbock. Additionally, Williams unsuccessfully prospected for silver in New Mexico in 1880. He accepted the position of deputy county surveyor for Pecos County in 1884 and moved his family to Fort Stockton. Two years later, he became a surveyor and land agent for the University of Texas. In that same year, 1886, he won the election for Pecos County judge, holding the position until 1888, when he lost his seat due to his support of Prohibition. However, he regained his judgeship in 1892, serving for eight more years.

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