Norwich bulletin., 1911-11-16
NORWICH MAN GAVE
 NEW LONDON ITS PARK.
General William Williams the Donor
 Wife Gave Memorial Institute.

| R. B. Wall in the New London Day : tells of the gift of Williams park to that city by General William Williams 1 of this city. The letter was dated at Norwich, April f, 1858.
 Thomas w. Williams, second son of i General Williams and member of the fiji of Williams & Barns, whaling merchants of New London. died sud- denly in this city in 1855. It was in memory of his son that General Will ! Hams gave the park land. In after years Harriet Peck Williams, widow of the general and mother of Thomas w. Williams. second, gave the land and the building of the Williams Me 1 morial institute in the memory of her son. Just before his death Thomas Williams. second, was planning to build a fine dwelling for himself on land now in possession of the institute. He was called Thomas Williams. second, in order to distinguish him from his un- cle Major Thomas W. Williams. whose home was the corner of State and Huntington streets.
 General William Williams of Norwich was wont to visit this city. where he had a relative whose home was on the corner of Granite and Williams streets. When the weather was warm he would sit on the veranda facing Williams street, and one day he re- marked that he thought the plot of ground opposite and bounded by four streets would be good place for a
 
 place of Tom Fitch and give it to the city, which he did. paying Fitch s6.700. T. was evident in the deed that Fitch gave the general that the grantor, too. had thought of the plot for park pur- poses and reserved to myself the right to have the tract conveyed for ever without any house. public or pri vate. built thereon and to remain an open square"
 Career of General Williams.
 T+La history nf Nem TsouHor, oOI11fv dwells on the life of General Williams as follows: General Williams was born in Stonington March 12, 17SS. He was the son of William Williams, a self made man of great business enterprise and a citizen often honored by various offices of trust and responsibility. He inherited from his father to some ex- tent that fondness for mercantile pur- suits which distinguished him and that perseverance and tenacity of purpose which contributed so largely to his success. He was educated at the dis trict schools of Stonington and the Plainf1eld academy and at an early age commenced his career as a clerk in a store in his native town. He remained here. however, but a short time when he went to New York and entered the commission house of W. & $. Robin son. where he served a clerkship of three years. acquiring a practical knowledge of the duties of a shipping merchants vocation.
 Goes to Sea as Supercargo.
 In July. 1906. when IS years of age. he returned to Stonington and soon after was despatched as supercargo in one of his fathers vessels bound for Labrador and thence to Bordeaux. and the voyage consumed two years. Upon his return he commenced on his own account in New London, but soon after removed to Norwich and in company with his father turned his attention to manufactures. He engaged in man ufacturing flour -on large scale and afterward in that of cotton until the closing up of this kind of enterprise in the years 1918 and 1919.
 Ennbarks in Whaling Industry.
 Between 1921 and 1927 General Williams made a number of successful commercial voyages to Europe and South America In 1928 he gagged in the whaling business with Capt. Acors Barns under the firm name of Williams & Barns and remained interested until his death. This was an enterprisine and successful firm and contributed largely to the reputation New London attained as a whaling port. He was one of the corporators of the Mer- chants bank of Norwich, organized in 1888. was its first president, serving in that capacity for 25 years.
 General Williams obtained his mili- tary title by promotion in the state militia. where he rose to be ma ior spirited men who organized and en- dowed the Norwich Free Academy: was a member Of the ConRreeational church of Norwich for 50 years. and visited weekly the Mohegan Indians. sc much was he interested in their moral and spiritual welfare. In May. 1S62 General Williams and his esti- mable wife celebrated the soth ami versary of their marriage. He died at Norwich Oct. 2S. 1870
 While residing in New London Gen eral Williams lived in Golden street in what was afterward r-nown as tine Ma for Perkins house This house is still standing on the north side of the street.