WILLIAMS – The Williams Mountain Men have been a fixture in Williams, Arizona for a number of years. They make up the stuff of myth and legend. Today they are a popular addition to the parades in Williams, Arizona.

Goldie’s Route 66 Diner recently published an article and photos they found from photographer C.M. Whitaker who ran the photography studio in Williams for a number of years.

The City of Williams was named after William Sherley Williams—known commonly as Bill Williams or Old Bill. Some local historians contend that Bill Williams probably never visited the area of the City of Williams. Bill Williams mountain, they say, was probably named after him by a fellow trapper.

A statue of Bill Williams stands in the Williams Memorial Park on the west end of town across the street from Safeway along with the new Veteran’s Own memorial.

BILL WILLIAMS MOUNTAIN MEN

SHERLEY WILLIAMS, known as old Bill Williams spent nearly 25 years in the Rocky Mountain country. As a young man he had been for a time a preacher in backwood Missouri; in his old age he was famous even among the Mountain men themselves for his rugged individualism.

Old Bill and many of his colleagues liked to make their trapping camps together, it meant added protection against the Indians, help in case of injury or accident.

About all the worldly possessions that Old Bill had was his traps, rifle, knife, powder and lead and most of the time he had one horse and a mule to pack his beaver pelts and supplies.

Read more at Goldie’s Route 66 Diner