Perry County

J. R. Williams, born in Faulkner County in 1853, was a partner in the general merchandise firm Witt & Williams in Conway, Arkansas. The business, established in 1879, underwent several name changes before Williams joined in 1888. The store, facing the public square, was one of the largest in the county. Williams, the youngest of six children, started farming in 1872 and moved to Conway in 1881 to establish a general collecting agency. A prominent business figure, he served in local politics and was active in temperance and community affairs. He married Louisa Hartje in 1872, and they had seven children.