Abram P. Williams
Encyclopedia
Abram Pease Williams was a teacher, businessman and U.S. Senator
from California
.
, Maine
on February 3, 1832. He attended the common schools of the time and completed a course of study at North Anson Academy from 1846 to 1848. He taught school at North Anson
before moving to Fairfield, Maine
, in 1853. There he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1858 Williams moved to California and worked in the mining fields in Tuolumne County
. In 1859 he resumed his mercantile pursuits. He then moved to San Francisco in 1861 and became an importer, stock raiser, and farmer. Abram was one of the founders of the San Francisco Board of Trade, serving as its first president. He was also a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. In 1886 Williams was elected as a Republican
to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John F. Miller and served until March 3, 1887. He did not run for a renomination in 1887. When he returned to California he resumed the wholesale mercantile business in San Francisco, where he died October 17, 1911. He was interned at the Maplewood Cemetery in Fairfield, Maine.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Life
Abram was born in New PortlandNew Portland, Maine
New Portland is a scenic town in Somerset County, Maine, United States nestled among some of the foothills, and within sight, of the Appalachian Mountains. It is perhaps best known for its Wire Bridge, a cable suspension bridge completed in 1866 that is the last remaining bridge of its type in...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
on February 3, 1832. He attended the common schools of the time and completed a course of study at North Anson Academy from 1846 to 1848. He taught school at North Anson
North Anson, Maine
North Anson is a village in the town of Anson in Somerset County, Maine, United States.-History:According to an 1886 History of Anson, Maine, "In 1845 [Anson] was divided, and North Anson incorporated out of it; but a re-union of the parts took place in 1855. North Anson has in the "Union Advocate"...
before moving to Fairfield, Maine
Fairfield, Maine
Fairfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,735 at the 2010 census. The town includes Fairfield Center, Fairfield village and Hinckley...
, in 1853. There he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1858 Williams moved to California and worked in the mining fields in Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County is a county in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern part of the county. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,365, up from 54,501 at the 2000 census...
. In 1859 he resumed his mercantile pursuits. He then moved to San Francisco in 1861 and became an importer, stock raiser, and farmer. Abram was one of the founders of the San Francisco Board of Trade, serving as its first president. He was also a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. In 1886 Williams was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John F. Miller and served until March 3, 1887. He did not run for a renomination in 1887. When he returned to California he resumed the wholesale mercantile business in San Francisco, where he died October 17, 1911. He was interned at the Maplewood Cemetery in Fairfield, Maine.