James Etheldread Williams, born in Granger County, Tennessee in 1826, came to Atlanta in 1851. He established a business as a commission merchant of produce and included a theatre on the second floor of the brick building he had constructed at Pryor and Hunter Streets in 1854. Before the Civil War, he was one of the original incorporators of the Georgia and Western Railroad, and a vestryman of St. Phillip's church. In 1862 he represented the 2nd ward on the City Council. He served as Mayor of Atlanta for two terms, beginning in 1866. Two sons of James E. Williams represented in this collection are William Fort Williams (1853-1922); and James E. Williams, probably in the insurance business. William M. Williams' relation to the other Williamses is unclear. His name appears in the Civil War period.
From the description of James E. Williams' Papers, 1820-1905. (Atlanta History Center). WorldCat record id: 37991244
