Extract from New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957:
Name: John Williams
Age: 10
Estimated birth year: 1857
Gender: male
Port of departure: Liverpool, England
Destination: United States of America
Place of origin: Wales
Ship name: City of Manchester
Arrival date: 14 May 1867
Port of arrival: New York
Port arrival state: New York
Port arrival country: United States
Class: steerage
Line: 18
Microfilm serial: m237
Microfilm roll: m237_279
List number: 412
Note: other passengers with John Williams were:
William Williams, age 50, b. Wales; occupation: miner
Annie Williams, age 46, b. Wales; wife
Elibeath [sic] Williams, age 18, b. Wales; spinster
Gwilyn Williams, age 7, b. Wales; child.
These were presumably his parents and sister and brother.

Extract from the 1900 Census:
Name: John G Williams
Age at last birthday: 45
Date of birth: May 1855
Birthplace: Wales
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head-of-house: roomer
Home in 1900: Duluth Ward 5, Saint Louis, Minnesota
Address: 521 3rd Street West
Marital status: widower
Able to read, write and speak English: yes
Father's birthplace: Wales
Mother's birthplace: Wales
Year of immigration: 1872
Number of years in the United States: 28
Naturalization: not listed
Occupation: lawyer
Months not employed: 0
Census place: Duluth Ward 5, Saint Louis, Minnesota; Roll: T623 790; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 273
Date: 9 Jun 1900

Extract from the 1910 Census:
Name: John G Williams
Age in 1910: 54
Estimated birth year: 1856
Birthplace: Wales
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head of family: head
Home in 1910: Duluth Ward 2, Saint Louis, Minnesota
Address: 931 East 4th Street
Marital status: married (second marriage)
Number of years of present marriage: not listed
Able to speak English: yes
Able to read and write: yes
Father's birthplace: Wales
Mother's birthplace: Wales
Year of immigration: 1880
Whether naturalized or alien: naturalized
Farm or house: house
Home owned or rented: owned; no mortgage
Occupation: attorney
Type of industry: not listed
Salary or wage worker: employer
Whether out of work on April 15, 1910: no
Number of weeks out of work in 1909: 0
Census place: Duluth Ward 2, Saint Louis, Minnesota; Roll: T624_725; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 158; Image: 115
Date: 15 Apr 1910

Extract from the 1920 Census:
Name: John G Williams
Age: 63
Estimated birth year: 1857
Birthplace: Wales
Race: white
Sex: male
Relation to head-of-house: head
Home in 1920: Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota
Address: 2601 East 2nd Street
Marital status: married
Able to speak English: yes
Able to read and write: yes
Father's birthplace: Wales
Father's native tongue: English
Mother's birthplace: Wales
Mother's native tongue: English
Year of immigration: 1870
Naturalized or alien: naturalized in 1882
Home owned or rented: owned, no mortgage
Occupation: lawyer
Type of industry: general practice
Salary or wage worker: employer
Census place: Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota; Roll: T625_858; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 95; Image: 151
Date: 10 Jan 1920

Extract from the 1930 Census:
Name: John G Williams
Age: 73
Estimated birth year: 1857
Birthplace: Wales
Race: white
Sex: male
Relation to head-of-house: head
Home in 1930: Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota
Address: 2601 East 2nd Street
Marital status: married
Age at first marriage: 30
Education: able to speak English
Education: able to read and write
Father's birthplace: Wales
Mother's birthplace: Wales
Year of immigration: 1870; naturalized
Language spoken in home before coming to the United States: Welsh
Military service: no
Rent/home value: owns home; value $100,000
Owned a radio: yes
Occupation: lawyer
Industry: general practice
Salary or wage worker: employer
Census place: Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota; Roll: 1126; Page: ; Enumeration District: 42; Image: 204.0
Date: 6 Apr 1930

John Griffiths Williams, born in 1855, came to the United States at about the age of 14, in 1869 or 1870, to the Neath, Pennsylvania coal area (the Welsh traditionally are miners). He taught school and studied law at Towanda and was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania in 1881, then moved to Duluth, Minnesota in 1884 and became a prosperous attorney. He married Julia Kiley in about 1900. He walked from his home to downtown Duluth every morning, and had a shave before going to work. He was president of the Minnesota Bar Association. He was a regent of the University of Minnesota from 1912 to 1937, and one of the residence halls (the "John G. Williams House") at the University in Duluth was named for him in 1956. He died at age 82. Duluth city directories show that his address in 1914 was 2601 East 2nd Street. Previously his address was 931 East 4th Street, now the site of the Jarvi-Dowd Funeral Home. He built a house at 2601 East 2nd Street. His son-in-law, Robert H. Tennant and family lived there from 1933 to 1939, with John G. Williams, until he died. The house was sold to writer Sinclair Lewis, who lived there from 1941 to 1945.

Clyde Iron Works Historical Sketch:
On October 15, 1889, five men met in the office of Snively & Craig in room 301 of the First National Bank building in downtown Duluth to organize and elect officers for The Clyde Iron Company. Articles of Incorporation were recorded at the Minnesota Secretary of State's office (filed Oct. 24, 1889) and the office of Register of Deeds in St. Louis County (filed Oct. 21, 1889).
The nature of the business of The Clyde Iron Company described in the 1889 Articles remained accurate for many years: smelting of iron and other metals, manufacturing of all classes of engines, marine as well as stationary, boilers and machinery of all descriptions, forgings of all kinds, castings of iron, steel, brass and other metals for structural and other purposes, and doing all the things necessary to a general foundry and machine business including repairs…and the buying, selling and dealing in all kinds of metals, merchandise and marine supplies usual to business of a similar character ... commencing on this 15th day of October, 1889, with capital stock of 1,000 shares of $100 each. Charles P. Craig, president - 150 shares, James Cash, secretary and treasurer - 122.5, Jay W. Anderson, vice president - 245, Daniel G. Cash - 150, and JOHN G. WILLIAMS - 150 shares, all Duluthians, comprised the initial board of directors. One additional stock holder was Samuel F. Snively holding 61.25 shares of Clyde stock. The remaining 121.25 shares were reserved. Jay W. Anderson was appointed general manager of the company whose operations were located on south Lake Avenue.
Charles P. Craig is best known for being a long-time champion of the seaway development - of a waterway from Duluth to the sea. This task was undertaken by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater Association. Coolidge appointed him to a 15 year term as secretary of the U. S. St. Lawrence commission. Craig served as executive director for the association from its founding in 1920 until his death October 1, 1935, as the plan neared approval. He gave addresses throughout the country on the project and conferred with authorities in the United States and Canada in behalf of the job. He came here as a young graduate of the University of Pennsylvania law school. It was in the law school that he met Samuel F. Snively. Snively came to Duluth in 1886, and Craig followed later in the year. The two agreed to a law firm which continued until 1893, when both lost heavily in the financial panic of the time. Craig went into real estate after the partnership dissolved, and for many years was with the firm Craig & Gilbert. He was secretary and manager of Greysolon Farms Co. Craig was also involved in experimental work in the development of dairying in this section of the state. The experimental and demonstration work which he and Duluthian JOHN G. WILLIAMS carried on at the Jean Duluth farm proved the adaptability of the soil and climate of northeastern Minnesota for dairy products and the breeding of dairy cattle. In 1933, the University of Minnesota farm school honored him for the pioneering work in breeding certain types of cattle. He was declared one of five Minnesotans to have pioneered in agriculture work. He played a major role in the movement to abolish the "Pittsburgh Plus" practice of distributing steel. He fought this plan. Development of a Duluth port terminal was another of his civic interests,

Obituary from the "News-Tribune" of Duluth, Minnesota dated 30 Aug 1937:
John G. Williams,
Civic Leader, Dies
Long Time University Regent Was
Prominent Duluth Attorney.
John G. Williams, prominent Duluth attorney and long time member of the University of Minnesota board of regents, died yesterday afternoon in his home, 2601 East Second Street. He was 82 years old and had been ill several months.
A resident of Duluth since 1884, Mr. Williams was born May 24, 1855, at Carnarvonshire, North Wales. He came to this country as a youth, settling in Neath, Pa., where he attended high school and later had private instruction.
After teaching school for a time, he studied law under the late Lieutenant Governor W. T. Davies at Towanda, Pa., and was admitted to the bar in that state in 1881. Since 1884 Mr. Williams has engaged in law practice in Duluth.
He was appointed to the University of Minnesota board of regents by Governor Adolph O. Eberhart in December, 1912. Reappointed for six-year terms in 1918, 1924 and 1930, he began his fifth term in 1935.
He was active in civic affairs. He was elected president of the Minnesota State Bar association in 1912, and was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Kitchi Gammi Club here. He at one time was a member of the city charter commission.
On Feb. 14, 1934, he was honored with a testimonial dinner given here by the Minnesota Alumni association of Duluth. On that occasion he was presented a scroll lauding him for unselfish service to the university as a regent, and paying tribute to his record as a member of the board.
In part, the citation said:
"For 22 years, his presence on the board has been most salutary. Always judicial, fair, and open-minded, he has upheld the hands of the administration through difficult situations as well as through untroubled periods. His counsel and advice have always been encouraging and stimulation to all who have had the best interests of the institution before them."
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Robert H. Tennant, and three grandchildren, all of Duluth.
Funeral services have been set for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Crawford Mortuary. Arrangements will be completed today.

He married (1) Mary Jane Davis 18 Feb 1886 in Neath, Bradford, Pennsylvania.
He married (2) Julia Kiley 8 Nov 1901 in Grant County, Wisconsin.