Williams Ranch, The Settlement of

Once a prominent frontier town, Williams Ranch grew up around the homestead of cattleman John Williams (1804-1871), who came to this area in 1855. The community flourished during the Civil War (1861-1865) because of trade with Mexico and by 1874 had stores, saloons, a hotel, mill, and blacksmith shop. In 1875 Henry Ford and J. M. Parks bought most of the land in the village and platted a townsite. They proposed the name "Parksford" but "Williams Ranch" prevailed when the post office opened in 1877. The community was a stage stop and a roundup point on the western cattle trail. It claimed the first hotel, newspaper, telegraph, and public school in Brown and Mills counties. In 1881 it was one of the towns considered as a site for The University of Texas. Williams Ranch reached its peak of activity in the early 1880s, with a population of over 250. The settlement began to decline when the railroad bypassed it in 1885. An outbreak of mob violence was quelled by the Texas Rangers in 1887. By 1892 the post office and all businesses had closed. Today the site is marked by the natural springs that attracted the original settlers and by Williams Ranch Cemetery, burial place of many pioneers and their descendants.

Williams Ranch, The Settlement of is a historical marker in Mullin, Mills County, dedicated in 1976. It is one of 26 historical markers documented in Mills County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 38 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.5591, -98.6612 near Mullin. The nearest cataloged historic site is Mullin United Methodist Church (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Williams, John, Williams Ranch Cemetery, and Site of Chesser Valley Community.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5333005426. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.