Charles Storrow Williams (December 25, 1827 – June 20, 1890) was an American civil engineer who managed the

Memphis and Little Rock Railroad The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad was chartered in the U.S. state of Arkansas in 1853. The line ran from Hopefield, Arkansas (now West Memphis) on the east, to Huntersville (now North Little Rock, Arkansas) on the west. The eastern third was co ...

and Southern Railway in Mississippi.

Early life

Williams was born on December 25, 1827, in

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

to Mary Ann Wentworth (Brown) and Norman Williams. His father served as Vermont's Auditor of Accounts and Secretary of State and his mother was a member of the

Appleton Appleton may refer to: People and fictional characters * Appleton (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters * Appleton family, an American political, religious and mercantile family * Appleton P. Clark Jr. (1865–1955), Am ...

and Wentworth families. He was educated in Woodstock's public schools, the Ellsworth Military Academy, and the

Kimball Union Academy Kimball Union Academy is a private boarding school located in New Hampshire. Founded in 1813, it is the 22nd oldest boarding school in the United States. It is located in the upper Connecticut River Valley village of Meriden, New Hampshire. Th ...

. He graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

in 1847 with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree. After graduating he studied to become a civil engineer under Hosea Doten.

Career

Williams got his start in engineering with a branch of the Northern Railroad. In 1849 he was hired to help build the

East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad Company was incorporated under special act of Tennessee on February 19, 1836 as the Hiwassee Rail Road Company.Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission ...

. He then worked for various railroads in the southern United States. In 1861 he became the assistant superintendent of the

Memphis and Charleston Railroad The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846, the gauge railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee, to Stevenson, Alabama ...

. In 1862 he became superintendent of the Southern Railway in Mississippi. Although Williams was reported to be unionist, he remained in the south during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and operated his railroads under the command of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

. After the war he managed the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad.

Personal life

Williams was a long time resident of

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

and spent his later years in

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

. He died on June 20, 1890, in Surrounded Hill, Arkansas. He was buried in the family plot in Woodstock.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Charles Storrow 1827 births 1890 deaths American civil engineers American railroad executives Appleton family People from Huntsville, Alabama People from Little Rock, Arkansas People from Woodstock, Vermont Southern Unionists in the American Civil War University of Vermont alumni Wentworth family