William Williamson
Vidor, Orange County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1829-1900) This community egan in 1867 when Louisiana native William Williamson and his wife Joissine Desmarais bought squatters rights and a log house on this tract of public land. Their home served as the community gathering place for socials and church meetings. After the death of their son Absolom in 1890, the Williamson Cemetery (1.3 mi. N) was set aside. Vitally interested in education, Williamson served as a school trustee as did several of his 15 children and their descendants. In 1900 Williamson and his wife were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; this marked the beginning of Mormonism in this area. The first church house of pine logs was erected about 1901 by volunteers. In 1915 a frame building was constructed here on an acre of land donated by Williamson's son Joseph. Signs of the Williamson influence in the community include: an early school and a major road bearing the name; the annual July 24th commemoration of the Mormons' arrival in the Salt Lake Valley; the public cemetery which has about 650 graves; the Family Genealogical Association; and this church building which is located at the center of the community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Louisiana native William Williamson and his wife Joissine bought squatters' rights and a log house on this public-land tract in 1867, and their home soon became the community's gathering place for socials and church meetings. A devoted supporter of schooling, Williamson served as a school trustee, as did many of his fifteen children. In 1900 he and his wife were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—the beginning of Mormonism in the area—and the congregation raised its first log meetinghouse about 1901, with the present building following in 1915.
Why it matters
The Williamson settlement traces how one pioneer family's home became the nucleus of a community, and how Latter-day Saint faith took root in the piney woods of Southeast Texas.
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Related people
- · William Williamson
- · Joissine Desmarais
Themes & tags
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