1869-1898
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The George Fred Williams papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.
Abstract
This collection consists of the personal papers of George Fred Williams, Dedham, Mass. schoolteacher, reporter, lawyer, state representative, congressman, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
Biographical Sketch
George Fred Williams was born in Dedham, Mass. on 10 July 1852. He graduated from Dedham High School in 1868 and Dartmouth College in 1872. He also studied in Heidelberg and Berlin, Germany. He spent part of his career teaching in Brewster, Mass. and reporting for the Boston Globe before going on to study law at Boston University. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and remained in Boston to practice. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1890 and was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second Congress between 4 Mar. 1891-3 Mar. 1893. He was also a delegate to several state conventions and the Democratic National Conventions in 1896, 1900, 1904, and 1908. Additionally, he served as U.S. minister to Greece and Montenegro from 1913 to 1914. Williams passed away while living in Brookline, Mass. on 11 July 1932.
Sources
Reeder, R. "Williams, George Fred (1852-1932)." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=W000497. Accessed 25 June 2009.
Collection Description
This collection includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous printed matter relating to Williams' political career as state representative, congressman, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Subjects discussed or described include: Grover Cleveland, James G. Blaine and the 1884 presidential campaign, the Massachusetts Committee of One Hundred, free coinage of silver, tariff and civil service reform, investigation of Boston's West End Railway Company, and the 1891 speakership contest between Charles F. Crisp and Roger Q. Mills in the House of Representatives. Notable correspondents include Edward Atkinson, Samuel Bowles, Charles R. Codman, Charles P. Greenough, Charles S. Hamlin, Nathan Matthews, Josiah Quincy, Carl Schurz, Moorfield Storey, Winslow Warren, and Henry M. Whitney.
Processing Information
This collection is PARTIALLY PROCESSED. Papers within series and folders may not be in perfect order.
Restrictions on Access
The George Fred Williams papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@masshist.org.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Correspondence, 1877-1896
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence, undated, 1877-1883
Committee of 100 correspondence, 1884
Letters from Carl Schur, 1885
Correspondence, 1886-1891
Correspondence, 1892-1896
II. Miscellaneous papers, 1869-1896
Election laws reform issue, 1889-1890
Labor issue, 1889
Massachusetts legislative issues, 1883-1890
West End Street Railroad, 1889-1890
Miscellaneous notes, [1890-1899]
Political papers listing, 1891-1896
Miscellaneous printed material, [1890-1899]
Miscellaneous, 1891-1893
Political papers listing, 1891-1892
Diary notes, Sep. 1895
History of Biennials Amendment, 1895
Passenger list of Saxonia, 1869
The Bohemian Boy, 1878
III. Subject files, 1881-1899
Arranged chronologically.
This series consists mostly of clippings and publications.
President Garfield's death, 1881
Milford Gazette, 1886
Unclassified, 1887
Poster for representative, 1889
Oklahoma, 1889
West End investigation, 1890
Silver, 1890
Tariff reform, 1890
Election laws, 1890
McKinley poll, 1890
House of Representatives, 1890
Map of Massachusetts congressional districts, 1890
First Congregational Church of Dedham, 1890
Unclassified, 1890
Miscellaneous, 1890
Congressional election, 1890
Politics, 1890
West End investigation, 1890
Campaign addresses, 1891
Politics and miscellaneous, 1891
Political map, 1891
11th District, 1892
Campaign speeches, 1892
Tariff, 1892
Buffalo demonstrations, 1892
McCall-Andrew challenge, 1892
Shaw Stocking Company, 1892
Civil service reform, 1892
Banks currency question, 1892
Election law, 1892
11th District caucuses, 1892
Speeches, John Russell Lowell, 3 Oct. 1892
Campaign of 1892
Wages, 1892
Columbus, 1892
Cleveland, 1892
New England Tariff Reform League, Oct 1892
Sheep and wool tariff, 1892
Tariff and labor, 1892
Miscellaneous, 1892
Edward Atkinson, 1892
New York World supplement tariff, 1892
World's Fair, 1892
Democratic state convention, 1892
Personal politics, John Foster, 1892
William F. Draper, 1892
World's Congress, 1892
Bill to repeal internal tax on banks, 1892
Dedham, 1892
Benjamin Harrison, 1892
Patrick Egan, 1892
Official election returns, 1892
William F. Draper, 1892
Central rallies, Republican, 1892
Brooklyn Eagle, 1892
Personal, 1892
Campaign, 1892
Memphis address, 1892
Speakership contest, 1892
52nd Congress, 1892
Dinner in honor of Cleveland, 1892
Washington Post politics, 1892
Williams vs. Draper, 1892
House of Representatives, 1892
Miscellaneous, 1892
Campaign poster, 1892
Albert Clark speech at Belmont, 1892
Draper speech at Belmont, 1892
National University Law School address, 1892
Memphis banquet menu, 1892
Charleston address, 1892
Democratic state convention, 1892
Chinese Exclusion Act, 1892
In Congress, 1892
Unclassified, 1892
Silver, 1892
Undistributed, 1892
Personal, 1892
List of public documents, 1892
Morse-Twing case, 1892
Campaign of 1892, election estimate
Campaign of 1892, Hopedale Elastic Fabric Co.
Tariff "Short and Crisp clippings," 1892
Tariff and prices, 1892
Banks, 1892
Political miscellany, 1892
Draper vs. Williams, 1892
Walker vs. Draper, 1892
Congressional Record, 1892
Election information, 1892
Campaign of 1892
Miscellaneous, 1892
Miscellaneous political, 1893
Silver-Purchase Act, 1892
D. B. Hill attack against George F. Williams, 1893
Miscellaneous, 1892
Gas trust investigation, 1893
Walker vs. Williams debate, 1893
The governorship, 1893
Campaign, 1893
Party conventions, 1893
Political rivals, 1893
Repeal Sherman Act, 1893
List of 53rd Congress members, 1893
Municipal affairs, 1893
Financial statements, 1893
Hawaii, 1893
List of public documents, 1893
Silver, 1893
Official election returns, 1893
Silver and finance, 1893
Politics, 1893
Civil service reform, 1893
Personal, 1893
Dartmouth, 1893
Immigration, 1893
Dedham, 1893
Sherman Hoar, 1893
Tariff, 1893
Labor, manufacture, trusts, 1893
Miscellaneous, 1893-1895
State convention, 1894
Programs and European trip, 1894
Campaign, 1894
Civil service reform, 1894
D. B. Hill speech, 1894
Underground wires, West End St. Railroad Co., 1894
William E. Russell, 1894
Personal, 1894
Rapid transit, 1894
Patents, 1894
Labor, U.P. strike, 1894
Dedham, 1894
Closure rule, 1894
Bay State Gas, 1894
Civil service reform, 1894
Trusts, 1894
Democratic state convention, 1895
Republican political issues, 1895
Williams and Greenhalge, 1895
Miscellaneous political, 1895
Miscellaneous political, 1895
Protest against Boston Transit Committee, 1895
Women's suffrage, 1895
Income tax, 1895
Japan and China, 1895
Labor and strikes, 1895
Monroe Doctrine, 1895
Patents, 1895
New York Constitution, 1895
Miscellaneous personal, 1895
Degeneration natural selection, 1895
Mass. governor Dem. nominee acceptance speech, 1895
Memo for governor campaign, 1895
Memo and points for anti-public corp. plank, 1895
Biographical sketch, 1895
Finance, silver-banking, 1895
Venezuela and Monroe Doctrine, 1895
Labor in Fall River, 1895
Land transfer, 1895
Municipal ownership, gas, 1895
Miscellaneous scraps, 1895
Public franchises, 1895
Politics, Massachusetts, 1895
Prices, 1895
Proportional representation, 1895
Railroad, 1895
Silver, 1895
Tariff, 1895
Trusts, 1895
Civil service reform, 1895
Boston politics, 1895
A.P.A., 1895
West End Street Railroad, 1895
State treasurer, 1895
Corporations, 1895
Gas, 1895
Dedham, 1895
East Boston grade crossings, 1895
Haverhill corruption, 1895
Republican Convention, 1896
Copy of unpublished draft letter to press, 1896
Miscellaneous, 1896
Personal, 1896
Republican National Convention, 1896
Democratic National Convention, 1896
Massachusetts politics, 1896
Massachusetts legislature, 1896
Labor, 1896
Katahdin, 1896
11th Congressional District, 1896
Dedham, 1896
Dartmouth College, 1896
Cuba, 1896
Corporations, 1896
Commissions Council fees, 1896
Civil service reform, 1896
A.P.A., 1896
Republican Convention, 1896
Telephone, 1896
Shipping plank, 1896
Patents, 1896
Undistributed, 1896
Henry Cabot Lodge, 1896
Democratic State Committee, 1896
Chicago convention, 1896
Press clippings, 1896
Silver, 1896
Biennials, 1896
Legislative records, 1896
Transvaal, 1896
Veto power, 1896
Trusts, 1896
Democratic and Republican state conventions, 1896
Tariff, 1896
William E. Russell, 1896
Boston politics, 1896
Venezuela, 1896
Portland speech letter, draft, 1896
Portland speech, 1896
New century and its duties, 1897
Sundries, 1897
Post office service, 1897
Address at Philadelphia, 1897
Henry Cabot Lodge, 1899
Senate election by people, 1898
For distribution, 1896
Preferred Citation
George Fred Williams papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.