The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-10
OBITUARY.

Hon. Jesse l.. Williams, Widely Known
$50 as Civil Engineer.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
FORT WAYNE, Oct. 9.-Hon. Jesse L. Williams
died at IL o'clock to-day.
Jesse L. Williams was born in Stokes county, North
Carolina, May 6, 1907. In May, 1914. his parents
removed to Cincinnati o., and subsequently to the
adjoining county CT Warren, and in 1919, to Wayne
county, Indiana In his early youth he was pupil o.
the Lancasterian Seminary at Cincinnati o., and
subsequently at various places of residence in
villages the farm, he had only the educational
advantages offered in such locations, for those por
tions of the time his other avocations would allow.
After he had at the age of eighteen. selected pro-
fesson Chat of civil engineer) his leisure hours
well occupied with study, more especially of those
branches of general science having direct relation to
this profession thus making up for the lack of early
educational attaintments. He accepted a
subordinate position in the corps of engineers which
early in 1924 made the preliminary survey of the
many important appointments engineering work.
In February, 1854, he appointed chief
which the b a NTH 60 ra
solidaton with the Ohio & Pennsylvania and
Ohio & Indiana railroads, in 1856, under the
name of the Pittsburg. Fort Wayne e Chicago rail
road He has been director of this last named
pany ever since. period of twenty-nine years
In July. 1854, Mr. Williams was appointed by
Pacific railroad and remained in that position until
the Union Pacific and Central Pacific met west of Salt
Lake, in 1859. when the oceans connected by
rail- He received commissions from three successive
Presidents, Lincoln, johnson and Grant.
Having long experience civil engineer, he
was placed the COMMITTEES location and con-
struction and, in his official capacity frequently ac-
companied the chief and consulting engineers of the
company making many tours for personal inspection
of the various lines through the canyons and the
slopes of the several Rocky mountain ranges thus
aiding to secure the best location. and.
his rsports TO the government show always insist
ing the lowest practicable maximum grade for the
commerce Of the world in it's transit this
tain region.
On the 10th of January, 1869 Mr. Williams was
appointed receiver by the United States Circuit Court
for the western district of Michigan for the Grand
Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company still holding his
position director of the Union Pacific. Finding how
ever that the exigences of the former road demanded
his whole time and attention, in October, 1869, he
resigned director of the Union Pacific, and devoted
his whole time and energies to the completion of the
Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad. opening for trans
portation nearly two hundred miles of that import
road under the order of the United States court
Mr. Williams has thus been identified throughout a
busy life with many public enterprises which have
effected i'm portant changes in the business and cond
ton of the country 1t has been said of him that in
the region west of the Aleghenies he has witnessed
the origin growth, maturity and decline of the canal