John T. Williams was born May 12, 1828, at Bryn Mawr, Monmouth Rasa, Breconshire, Wales. Orphaned at the age of five, he was compelled from early childhood to earn his own livelihood. By the age of eight he was working in the coal mines of his native country.

In 1848 he emigrated to America, settling first at Beaver Meadow, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, where he worked in the coal mines for two summers. Determined to improve himself, he attended school at Gibson, Pennsylvania, during the winter of 1848–1849 and later studied at Wyoming Seminary from 1849 to 1853.

In the summer of 1854 he came west to St. Paul, Minnesota. After returning briefly to Pennsylvania for the winter, he removed in the spring to South Bend, Minnesota, where he opened a real estate office. His abilities soon brought him into public service. In 1857 he was elected Clerk of the District Court, and in 1861 he was elected County Treasurer.

In 1863 he was appointed by Hon. William Windom as Secretary of the House Committee on Indian Affairs at Washington, D.C., a position he held until 1870. He then served as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Minnesota State Senate in 1870 and 1871. In 1872 he was chosen as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and was appointed Special Agent of the United States Post Office Department, serving until July 1878, when he was named United States Consul to St. Helens, England. In 1880 he was selected as one of Minnesota’s presidential electors.

Mr. Williams was a strong and influential Republican and was regarded as one of the ablest and most successful leaders of his party in southern Minnesota. His close association with William Windom brought him into prominent political circles, and their friendship remained strong until Windom’s death.

Making Mankato his permanent home from 1858, Williams became one of the city’s most active and respected citizens. In 1888 he erected a large business block that bore his name, further establishing his standing as a successful businessman. In later years he engaged in the insurance business in partnership with his son.

On July 3, 1861, he married Mary E. Wickersham. She survived him. They had five children: Theodore Williams of Mankato; Mrs. Vira Boyd (Viva Boyd) of St. Paul; Mrs. Nellie Andrews of Minneapolis; Alice Williams; and Florence Williams. At the time of his death, he was also survived by his devoted wife and children, who mourned the loss of a kind and indulgent husband and father.

In his later years Mr. Williams’ health declined, though he remained attentive to his business interests as he was able. After an illness of approximately two weeks with pleuro-pneumonia, his condition worsened. Though he appeared to be resting comfortably on the evening before his death, heart failure occurred suddenly at midnight, and he passed away on May 20, 1898.

His death caused genuine sorrow in the community where he had long been an active and upright public figure. He was widely known and respected for his hospitality, integrity, and public spirit. His funeral services were held at his residence on South Broad Street, conducted by Rev. George H. Davis, with interment following.

John T. Williams’ life was one of perseverance, self-education, public service, and political leadership. Rising from orphaned child laborer in the Welsh coal mines to respected American statesman and businessman, he left a lasting mark on Mankato and the state of Minnesota.