James D. Williams

James Douglas Williams ( born January 16, 1808 Pickaway County, Ohio; † November 20, 1880 in Indianapolis, Indiana ) was an American politician (Democratic Party) and from 1877 to 1880 the 17th Governor of Indiana, he also represented in Congress.

Early years

James Williams came at an early age with his parents in the Knox County in Indiana. There he attended elementary school. He then worked in agriculture. All his life he remained connected with this industry.

Political career

Williams' political rise began in 1839 as a Justice of the Peace in Vincennes. This office he held for four years. Between 1843 and 1872 he sat several times in both the House and the Senate of Indiana. Between 1855 and 1871 he was also a member of the Agriculture Council of his state. In 1872 he applied unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. Senate. In the same year he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore. On 4 March 1875 he moved to his successful election into the House of Representatives of the United States.

This mandate he laid down on 1 December 1876 after he had been elected to the eventual Republican U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, Governor of Indiana. Williams took up his new post on January 8, 1877. During his tenure, the work on the present-day Indiana Statehouse began. As Governor, he had to settle a railway strike. In addition, there was at that time also to labor unrest in the country, with which the governor and his government had to deal with. James Williams did not live to the end of his term: he died in November 1880 in the office. He was married to Nancy Huffman, with whom he had four children.