Frederick C. Williams

Frederick Claudius Williams
Fetters and Williams at the corner of Second and Main in Chico (1885)
13th President of the Board of Trustees of Chico, California
In office
1895–1897[1]
Preceded byGeorge Snook
Succeeded byJ. Ellis Rodley
Personal details
Born(1855-09-10)September 10, 1855[2]
Earlville, Illinois
DiedMarch 6, 1940(1940-03-06) (aged 84)[2]
Butte County, California[2]
Resting placeHoncut Cemetery,
Honcut City, California
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEstella Gertrude Hand (December 23, 1886)[3]
ResidenceChico, California
Occupationfurniture and carpet sales, undertaker and apiarist

Frederick Claudius Williams (September 10, 1855 – March 6, 1940) was an American orchardist, beekeeper, and funeral director. He was the thirteenth President of the Chico Board of Trustees, the governing body of Chico, California from 1895 to 1897.

He operated Fetters and Williams, a business in Chico. They were undertakers, dealers in furniture, carpets, window shades, wallpaper, and glass. The business was located at the southeast corner of Main Street and East 2nd Streets.

He was born in Earlville, Illinois in September 1855, the son of William Williams and Rachel Davis.[4]

He came to California in 1876, and worked on a farm in Marysville.[4] He came to Chico in 1878.[4] He partnered with Charles Fetters and opened Fetters and Williams. In 1906, Williams bought out Mr. Fetters and continued the business under the same name.[4]

Williams was also interested in horticulture, and owned several orchards of almonds and prunes on his ranch near Lone Pine Avenue.[4] He was the first person in Butte County to operate apiaries.[4] His operation grew to six apiaries containing nearly eight hundred colonies of bees, becoming the largest exporter of honey in the area.[4]

  1. ^ City Clerk's Office, City of Chico, Roster of Chico City Council Members
  2. ^ a b c "California, Death Index, 1940-1997," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VGBS-WV5 : accessed 22 Apr 2014), Fred Claud Williams, 06 Mar 1940; citing Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  3. ^ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K8DK-58L : accessed 22 Apr 2014), Frederick Claudins Williams and Estella Gertrude Hand, 23 Dec 1886; citing p. 387, Butte, California, United States; FHL microfilm 1299185.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Butte County Biographies - Frederick Claudius Williams