W.C. Williams Building
Palacios, Matagorda County, Texas
Marker Inscription
William Conrad “Billy” (W.C.) Williams was born in Matagorda County on February 20, 1854, to John Aaron Williams (1816 - 1865) and Catharine Elizabeth (Franz) Williams (1827 - 1914). John was a ship’s carpenter from Denmark. Catharine, his wife, was from Germany. W.C. Williams married Martha Alice Franz, (1860 - 1952). In 1876, the union which produced seven children. Before moving to Palacios, Williams was a childhood friend of well known author Charles Angelo Siringo and is mentioned several times in A Texas Cowboy. The families lived near each other on Matagorda Island in a small colony called the “Dutch Settlement”. In 1903, Williams, his brother and son were involved in oil ventures in the lucrative Big Hill Oil Discovery Area in Jefferson County. Williams came to Palacios in 1904 at the age of fifty and purchased a lot intending to erect a commercial building. The Williams Building was completed in 1909 in the Romanesque style with circular arches. The 4200 square foot brick structure was the cornerstone of the business community and an anchor to Palacios’ downtown. The first recorded occupant was Palacios Hardware owned by O.L. Sparks and then G.H. Davis. The building was also home to Traylor Hardware, the office of Dr. Joseph Wagner, Golden Rule Grocery, Price Cash Hardware, and Lawson Hardware. Williams continued to live in Palacios until his death on November 24, 1946 at the age of ninety-two. The Williams Building remained in the family until the 1970’s. This historic building is a reminder of Downtown Palacios before Hurricane Carla in 1961 destroyed many commercial buildings and homes. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2015
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
W. C. 'Billy' Williams, born in Matagorda County in 1854 to a Danish ship's carpenter and a German mother, grew up in a coastal 'Dutch Settlement' alongside his boyhood friend, the cowboy-author Charles Siringo. After venturing into the Spindletop-era oil boom, Williams came to Palacios in 1904 and in 1909 completed this 4,200-square-foot Romanesque brick building, which anchored downtown for decades as it housed a parade of hardware stores, groceries, and a doctor's office.
Why it matters
It ties together immigrant coastal settlement, the early Texas oil rush, and the downtown commerce that defined Gulf Coast towns before Hurricane Carla reshaped them.
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Related people
- · William Conrad 'Billy' Williams
- · Charles Angelo Siringo
Related events
- · Hurricane Carla
Themes & tags
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