William S. Williams
| "Old Bill" Williams | |||||||||
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Old Bill Williams statue in Williams, Arizona
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| Born |
January 3, 1787 Polk County, North Carolina |
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| Died | March 14, 1849 (aged 62) Southern Colorado along the Rio Grande River |
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| Cause of death | Killed by Ute warriors | ||||||||
| Burial place | Williams, Coconino County, Arizona | ||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||
| Occupation | Mountain man, trapper, guide, interpreter | ||||||||
| Spouse(s) | A-Ci'n-Ga, name means Wind Blossom | ||||||||
| Parent(s) | Joseph Williams, Sarah (Musick) Williams | ||||||||
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| Allegiance |
 United States of America
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| Service/branch | Mississippi Mounted Rangers |
| Rank | Sergeant and Scout |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
William Sherley "Old Bill" Williams (January 3, 1787 - March 14, 1849) was a noted mountain man and frontiersman. He served as an interpreter for the government, and led several expeditions in the West. Fluent in several languages, he lived with the Osage, where he married the daughter of a chief, and with the Ute.
Williams was born on January 3, 1787 on Horse Creek, a branch of the Pacolet, under Skyuka Mountain in Polk County, North Carolina. He liked to explore and learned to trap animals for their furs, and found he had a gift for languages. Williams was the son of Joseph Williams who was invited to settle in what is now Missouri by Spanish lieutenant governor of Upper Louisiana, Zenon Trudeau in about 1795.
Williams was a master fur trapper and trail guide, becoming fluent in several Native American languages among the tribes he knew the best. He served as a sergeant and scout with the Mississippi Mounted Rangers during the War of 1812 and, as he encountered local tribes, learned their languages and customs. His ability to communicate in the different languages made him valuable to the government and the military for tribal negotiations.
After military service, Williams became a Protestant preacher, and worked with some of the Native American tribes, moving west from Mississippi to frontier areas. During his early years, he lived with the Osage Indians in Missouri, and later with the Ute Indians. While resideing with the Osages he worked with the Harmony Mission to the Osages. He translated the bible into the Osage language and was the interpreter for the 1825 treaty between the Osage and the United States.
He married A-Ci'n-Ga, a full-blood Osage woman. They became the parents of two daughters. He assimilated into the Osage as a fur trapper and never returned to European-American life, however he did send his half-Osage daughters to it. Williams was named "Lone Elk" by numerous Native American tribes.
William had two children with A-Ci'n-Ga, whose name means "Wind Blossom." The first-born was Mary Ann, who was born in 1814. The second, Sarah, was probably born around 1816.
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