John B. Williams was the son of Cordey and Mary Williams, was born upon a farm in Callaway county, Missouri, August 11, 1844. When he was two years old his parents removed to Montgomery county and settled on a farm near Danville, where he lived until seven years of age. In the spring of 1853 his parents again changed their place of residence, this time moving to Gentry county, near Albany, where he lived until he reached his seventeenth year, when, in 1861, he enlisted in the Union army, joining Colonel Manlove Cranor’s regiment of six months militia. At the expiration of that time he enlisted in Company A, First Regiment of Missouri State Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, part of the time on detail duty as clerk in the adjutant general’s office at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, where he was mustered out when his time expired. Leaving St. Louis he went to Mexico, Missouri, and established himself in the drug business with his brother, under the name and style of R. N. Williams & Bro., doing business eighteen months, when they removed to Albany, Gentry county, and carried on the drug business one year.
In 1867 they removed to Gallatin, where they continued in the same business until 1868, when his brother retired from the firm, and six years later be also sold out. In 1876 he established himself in business, dealing in jewelry and musical merchandise, which he is at present engaged in.
On the 2d of July, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Poe, of Gallatin. They have six children; namely, Carl A., Mary S., Amos C., Henry W., Missouri E. and Maggie; and one, Elizabeth, died at the age of four years, September 8, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are members of the Christian Church, of Gallatin.