Biography of Daniel K. Williams

Daniel K. Williams, one of the representative farmers of Embden and a Civil War veteran, was born in this town, November 18, 1840, son of John and Belinda (Wells) Williams. His grandparents, Jacob and Joan Williams, made their way to Embden from Massachusetts through the wilderness in 1790. Here Jacob cleared and improved a farm, upon which he resided for the rest of his life. He died July 12, 1814, and his wife on October 8, 1844. They were the parents of fifteen children, all now deceased; namely, Caleb, Daniel, John, Richard, Isaac, Elsie, Ebenezer, Keziah, Cyrus, Francis, Sukey, Jacob, Chandler, Ephraim L., and Susan.

John Williams, father of Daniel K., was born in Massachusetts in 1784. When a young man he cleared from a wild state the farm his son now occupies. He also cultivated other farms in this town during his long period of activity, and died October 14, 1867.

He was twice married. By his first marriage, which was made with Sally Maynard, there were four children — Mary, Johanna, Sarah, and Howard, none of whom are living. Belinda Wells Williams, a native of Concord, Me., became his second wife and the mother of seven children. Of the latter, the only survivor is Daniel K., the subject of this sketch. The others were: Kingman, Melissa, Fanny, Cyrus, Palmer A., and Adelaide. The mother died March 22, 1885.

Daniel K. Williams passed his youth in attending school and assisting his father upon the farm. On September 16, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company A, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel E. W. Woodman and Captain Seth T. Hutchins. He participated in the siege of Port Hudson, the engagement at Donaldsonville, and several skirmishes in Florida. After he was discharged from the army at Augusta, August 31, 1863, he resided at home for about a year, and then purchased his present farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres, known as the Dr. Salvage farm, Here he has since given his attention to general farming, stock-raising, and dairying. The fertility of his land attests the excellent husbandry it has received at his hands; and new buildings have taken the place of the old ones, which were destroyed by fire in 1880.

On February 12, 1864, Mr. Williams was joined in marriage with Margaret Berry, who was born in Embden, Me., August 6, 1846. Her great-grandfather, Benjamin Berry, was a soldier in the Revolution; and her grandfather, Levi Berry, fought in the War of 1812. Her parents, Michael and Abigail (Burns) Berry, respectively natives of Embden and Lexington, Maine, are still residing here. The only break in their family so far was the death of Mrs. Williams’s younger sister on May 12, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have had six children, namely: Charles L., now a miner in Boulder, Colorado; Chester K., born October 28, 1872, who was formerly a teacher and superintendent of schools in this town, and is now teaching in Carritunk, this county; Cora V., born July 15, 1874, who is the wife of Fred Murphy, an operative in a woolen-mill in East Madison, Maine; Olen E., born July 10, 1876, who was accidentally killed in the woods, December 30, 1896; and Palmer A. and Guy F., respectively born on May 14, 1878, and June 24, 1884, both of whom are at home. In politics Mr. Williams is a Republican. He is a member of Keystone Lodge, No. 80, F. & A. M., of Solon, and a comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic Post at North Anson. An interesting relic in his possession is a Masonic document one hundred and twenty years old.

Source: Biographical review: containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine. Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1898.

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