Abram Pease Williams (February 3, 1832 – October 17, 1911) was a teacher, businessman and U.S. Senator from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Life

Abram was born in New Portland,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

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 Fairfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,484 at the 2020 census. The town includes Fairfield Center, Fairfield village and Hinckley, and borders the city of Waterville to the south. It is home to the ...

, 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 (), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora. Tuolumne County comprises the ...

. In 1859 he resumed his mercantile pursuits. He then moved to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

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 can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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 interred at the Maplewood Cemetery in Fairfield, Maine.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Abram Pease 1832 births 1911 deaths Republican Party United States senators from California California Republicans American merchants People from New Portland, Maine 19th-century American politicians People from Anson, Maine People from Fairfield, Maine 19th-century American businesspeople