Charles Williams was tried for the murder of David Butterfield yesterday, and acquitted.
"Breckinridge Delegates from Yreka," Sacramento Daily Union, June 11, 1861, page 2


    FOR WASHOE.--Quite a number of our citizens have left for Washoe this week, with horses and other stock, for which they expect to find a market. Mr. Charles Williams, who returned from that region a few days ago, says that money is plenty and times good, which no doubt accounts for the exodus.
Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, October 12, 1861, page 3


Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, July 8, 1863, page 2


    Jacksonville, March 18.--The man heretofore suspected of having committed the murder perpetrated some time since on Mrs. Long has placed himself in custody and demands a trial. He can prove his innocence. It is generally believed that he is innocent. He is familiarly known by the name of "Buckskin."
"Telegraphic Dispatches," Daily Mountaineer, The Dalles, March 20, 1864, page 4


    DISCHARGED.--Chas. Williams (alias Buckskin), who was supposed to be implicated in the murder of Mrs. Long, on account of leaving a pair of bloody buckskin breeches in the stable at the Grave Creek House, and who returned and gave himself up to Sheriff Hyde, and was confined in jail a few days, has been discharged, after an investigation of the whereabouts of the accused at the time of the murder, it being clearly and satisfactorily established that the accused was at a remote and distant place at the time the murder was committed, that it was impossible for him to be the guilty party.
Oregon Intelligencer, Jacksonville, April 2, 1864, page 2


Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, August 20, 1864, page 3


Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, September 10, 1864, page 3


    We are informed by Mr. Charles Williams, who has just returned from the north, that Mr. Williard Spencer, an old resident of this county, while on his return from Boise, was thrown from his horse and so badly injured that he died in three days afterwards.
Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, September 17, 1864, page 3


    On the 4th inst., in Jacksonville, Lulu, daughter of Charles and Ann Williams, aged 1 year, 2 months and 7 days.
Oregon Statesman, Salem, September 19, 1864, page 2


    DEPARTURE.--Messrs. John McLaughlin and Charles Williams started from this county on Thursday with a drove of hogs, via the Rogue River and John Day wagon road, to Canyon City.
Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, October 1, 1864, page 2


    GETTING ALONG FINELY.--Mr. Charles Williams returned a few days since, after accompanying the drove of hogs that started a short time since for Canyon City. The drove was accompanied by wagons, and had crossed the mountains to near the waters of DesChutes. Mr. Williams says that when he left them they were progressing finely, making ten miles a day with ease, and, without accident, they will reach Canyon City by the 25th of this month.
Oregon Intelligencer, Jacksonville, October 15, 1864, page 2




Notice.
    Notice is hereby given that we, the undersigned, claim for mining purposes by right of purchase (400) four hundred yards on Cosey Gulch, Kanaka Flat, or left hand fork Jackson Creek, Jackson County, Oregon, beginning at this notice & running thence up said Cosey Gulch for the distance aforesaid, being the usual width.
W. H. S. Hyde, Co. Clerk
By Ed R. Owen, D.C.
Jackson County Mining Claims, Library of Congress, Collection MSS62455, Shelving No. MMC-1189  This is likely Charles Williams of Logtown, and not Charley Williams.


Oregon City, Oregon:
Charles Williams, 37, saloon keeper, born Kentucky
Anna Williams, 38, born Canada
George Rice, 22, store clerk, born Oregon
Williard Angles, 20, born Oregon
Martin Angles, 18, born Oregon
John Angles, 15, born Oregon
Flora Williams, 9, born Oregon
Owen Williams, 4, born Oregon
Charles Williams, 9/12, born Oregon in September
United States Census, enumerated July 4, 1870




    DIED.--Chas. Williams, a well-known citizen of this place, died very suddenly at his residence last Friday.
Weekly Enterprise, Oregon City, November 11, 1870, page 3


    DIED.--Charles Williams, formerly of this place, died at his residence, in Oregon City, on the 4th inst. He leaves an amiable wife and several children to mourn his loss.
Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, November 12, 1870, page 3


Charles Williams
Born October 9, 1830 Kentucky
Died November 4, 1870 Oregon City
findagrave.com


    Soon after their discovery in the summer of 1857 [sic] settlers bean locating donation land claims throughout the valley of Bear Creek, which flows into Rogue River and drains the country surrounding Jacksonville, and that town became the metropolitan center of all Southern Oregon. School districts were organized, rude schoolhouses built, teachers employed and civilization began shedding its genial rays over the new settlement. At length pioneer Christian ministers began making their appearance, and there being no church buildings in which to hold services, the school houses were improvised for the purpose. [Jacksonville's Methodist church, the subject of this essay, was built 1853-54, before any school houses were built in Jackson County.] But the population rapidly increased, and a church edifice became a pressing necessity in Jacksonville. A small Methodist Episcopal congregation was organized and Rev. I. D. Driver, who had just made a profession of religion, began his career as a minister, in which he is still earnestly engaged. [Driver didn't arrive in Jacksonville until 1858, five years after the church was begun..] He had been somewhat wild, like other young men of the times, and was well acquainted with and respected by the whole community. With great vigor Mr. Driver urged the members of his congregation to contribute in aid of the erection of a church building, But they were generally poor, and those who were wealthy were most parsimonious. The enterprise languished, but Driver's zeal in the cause intensified. At length he announced to his church brethren that he had determined to go among all classes and solicit until he secured a sufficient fund to defray the expenses of the construction of the building. To determine was to act, and he at once started out. Gambling was conducted without restraint of any law, except that of conscience, in all mining towns at that time, and the young preacher being more or less acquainted with the sporting fraternity of Jacksonville, tackled the first tiger layout on a sure thing, for he staked nothing but chin music, of which he possessed an abundant store. Every saloon, hotel and other public resort was a gambling house. Gold was more plentiful than any other commodity, and licentious joy was unconfined. Monte, faro, poker, and every other same of chance was patronized by both young and old. Ad Helms, still living and for many years Marshal of Jacksonville, was running a faro game in a house where about twenty other games were in full blast. A young gambler named Charley Williams, who died a short time [sixteen years] ago at Oregon City, was going against Ad's bank in bets running from twenty to one hundred dollars; just at that moment Rev. Driver entered the room. In clear, unembarrassed tones that gentleman stated his business and began passing the hat. He urged both dealers and players to give liberally to the good cause in the interest of which he was laboring, and he did not urge in vain. The sports gave according to their means--none less than five, and some as high as one hundred dollars. Driver made the rounds of the tables, reaching Ad Helms, where Charley Williams was betting high and losing, and just at the moment the Christian solicitor approached he had placed a glittering twenty on the deuce. "Come, Charley," said Driver, "let go now liberally to assist us to build a church. You know the cause is a good one. Think of our good mothers, Charley, who taught us to be better men than we are. Think of the dear sisters who were once our classmates at Sunday school. The little boys and girls in this camp have no place to meet as we had when we were children. Come, my dear boy, shell out twenty at least." "Hold on, Driver," answered the gambler, intent on watching the turn of the cards; "do you see that twenty on the deuce? If that wins, take all." "All right," was the rejoinder, and the game went on, with all parties intently watching the cards as Ad's thin nimble fingers drew them adroitly from the silver box. Ace, nine, king, jack, deuce, and Charley won. Without a change of expression he quietly picked up the two shining double eagles and dropped them in Driver's hat, while the welkin rang with wild huzzahs from the throng of reckless, but not naturally evil-minded, young men. Thanking the "boys" for their liberality, and earnestly appealing to them to attend his church when it was completed, the good solicitor departed and the games went on as though no incident of interest had transpired. From one gambling house to another went the dauntless minister and at no place did he receive an unkind word, but everywhere met with the same liberal spirit shown by poor Charley Williams when the deuce won. In a few days Mr. Driver had the pleasure of announcing to his congregation, in the old school house where he held service [There were no "old" buildings in Jacksonville in 1853. The town was one year old.], that he had raised $1400 and that the construction of a neat and commodious church building would soon be an accomplished fact. And there, in the pleasant town of Jacksonville, in the midst of as generous and warm-hearted a people as ever welcomed a stranger to their homes, stands the little white church with its spire pointing heavenward--a monument to the liberality of gamblers. And who is righteous enough to say that poor Charley Williams, Geo. L. Lands, Jim Cody and many others, who have since met tragic deaths, and who contributed to that church fund, have not at least in the gallery where seraphim chant forever the praises of Him who died that all might live. If there be any efficacy in the prayers of that veteran Methodist minister, I. D. Driver, the "boys" are there and there is a reserved seat for good old Ad Helm when called hence.
Ashland Tidings, April 2, 1886, page 1  The man who solicited the funds was Thomas Fletcher Royal, not Isaac D. Driver. Charley Williams' contribution, recorded in Royal's surviving record book--which survives--was $5.00.


CHAS. WILLIAMS.
Post office, Wimer, Jackson County. Or.
Range of stock, Pleasant Creek, head of Jump-Off Joe and Louse creeks, and upper Grave Creek.
Marks, split in right ear and smooth crop off the left.
Cattle branded high up on left hip. Horses same brand on left shoulder.
Brand Book of the Southern Oregon Stock Protective Association, Democratic Times Print Shop, Jacksonville, 1890.


    . . . Flora Dudley and Charles Williams, heirs of Charles Williams, $67.
"Oregonians May Yet Get Old War Claims," Morning Oregonian, October 14, 1919, page 7


    Charles Williams lives at 3710 S.E. Taylor Street. When I interviewed him recently he said:
    "I was born at Oregon City on August 31, 1869. My father, Charles Williams, was born in Kentucky and my mother, whose maiden name was Anna Wrenn, was born at Winnipeg. When she was a young girl she married George Wright and they had one child, George Wright Jr., who for many years lived at Lebanon. The name of my mother's next husband was Martin Angel. He was killed by the Indians in Southern Oregon in the Rogue River war of 1855-56. My mother had four children by her second husband--Willard, Martin, John and Mary. John used to be in the real estate business in Portland. My mother's third husband was my father, Charles Williams. Mother had five children by her third husband--Rowene, Lulu, Flora, now Mrs. John Dudley, who is a widow and lives at Grants Pass; Owen, who is a miner and also lives at Grants Pass, and myself. As a boy I went to school at Centerville, in Washington County. I quit school when I was 18, and for the next 15 years worked in the fuel business at the corner of N.E. 31st Avenue and Sandy Boulevard. The maiden name of my wife was Ada Nokes."
Fred Lockley, "Impressions and Observations of the Journal Man," Oregon Journal, Portland, October 26, 1935, page 4



Last revised May 12, 2024