Williamstown is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in southeastern

Jefferson County, Kansas Jefferson County (county code JF) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. At the 2020 census, the county population was 18,368. Its county seat is Oskaloosa, and its most populous city is Valley Falls. History Early history For ma ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 96. It is located south of the junction of US-24 and US-59 highways.

History

Kaw Agency and Chief White Plume

In 1825, the U.S. Government built a stone house for Chief White Plume, the

Kaw Kaw or KAW may refer to: Mythology * Kaw (bull), a legendary bull in Meitei mythology * Johnny Kaw, mythical settler of Kansas, US * Kaw (character), in ''The Chronicles of Prydain'' People * Kaw people, a Native American tribe Places * Kaw, Fr ...

chief from the band known as the Half-breeds. Kaw

Half-Breed Tract A Half-Breed Tract was a segment of land designated in the western states by the United States government in the 19th century specifically for Métis of American Indian and European or European-American ancestry, at the time commonly known as ha ...

#23 became the site of the Kaw Agency in 1827. The house was located approximately 50 yards north of the Kansas Pacific depot. By time the town was plotted in 1865, the stone house was in disrepair. However, the creek named after the old stone house was still a good place to settle, and so Williamstown was founded on its banks in 1865.

Founding

Williamstown was founded in 1865 in the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River dr ...

valley near the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

and on the banks of Stone House Creek by local property owners Mapes, Williams & Moore. It was originally in the territory of Sarcoxie Township, and then part of Rural Township when it was formed in 1871. The first store was opened in 1865 by Samuel Mitchell. A sawmill was established south of the railroad, and the town began to grow slowly. It had a post office, railroad depot, and schoolhouse. The town had trouble growing in the early years because of the establishment by railroad officials of the town of

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...

, three miles to the West.

Notable events

Early murders

In the early years of Williamstown's settlement, three particularly brutal murders were committed there. The perpetrators were never found.

1893 tornado

On June 21, 1893, at around 7 pm, Williamstown was devastated by a tornado. The tornado passed southeast through Williamstown and the surrounding area. It left a track 1/2 mile wide and 6 miles long. The tornado was particularly violent, destroying everything in its path and knocking over headstones in Underwood Cemetery. At least 15 people were killed instantly, and many more injured. In several cases, bodies had been found decapitated or missing limbs, sometimes up to 3 miles away from their homes. The injured were tended to by physicians gathered at Perry, while residents of Perry and Lawrence assisted in the search and rescue efforts throughout the night of the 21st and day of the 22nd. On the Sunday following the tornado, the Union Pacific ran several special trains to Williamstown for people to see the damage.

Floods

In 1903, cities all along the

were inundated by flood waters. Williamstown was hit on May 31. The water supposedly reached from bluff to bluff along the whole width of the river valley. As telephone was not available in the area, many people lost livestock and property due to the very short notice. The area was again hit in the

Great Flood of 1951 In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River, Missouri River, and other surrounding areas of the Central United States. Flooding occurred in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. ...

, with much more devastating effect to property.

Demographics

For statistical purposes, the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

has defined Williamstown as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP).

References

External links

* Jefferson County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{Authority control Unincorporated communities in Jefferson County, Kansas Unincorporated communities in Kansas