Williams, George Bailey (1809-1899)
/Hugh S. Anderson’s Portrait Photograph of George Bailey Williams
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
HUGH S. ANDERSON was born in 1826 in Scotland and died in 1900 in San Francisco, California. He was active in Petaluma as early as January 1872, and he departed Petaluma in December 1873. His Sunbeam Gallery was located, “At the Old Stand, Opposite H. C. Taft & Co.’s”. (For additional information on this photographer and to view all portraits by him in the collection, click on his name in blue above.)
THE SITTER:
Name: George Bailey Williams
Description: In this head-and-shoulders portrait, George Bailey Williams appears as a middle-aged man. His beard, mustache, and eyebrows are grey, but his hair is dark. The hair along his temple has been combed straight down, and the hair above his forehead has been mounded and combed back. George wears a heavy jacket, a white collared shirt, and a dark bow tie.
Biographical Note: George and Mehitabel Williams were stellar examples of the pioneer spirit of hard work and determination. After testing his luck searching for gold and building the Globe Hotel in San Francisco, George sailed up the Petaluma River in 1851 in search of a location to build a family home. In 1855, he convinced his wife and children to join him. In a strange twist of fate, Mehetabel and the children journeyed west while George was journeying east to fetch them. They eventually rendezvoused in Petaluma in August 1855.
George was an enterprising developer and community builder. He constructed Petaluma’s Washington Hotel in 1856 and was instrumental in constructing one of Petaluma’s first public schools and many of its private homes.
The full story of the adventures of George and Mehitabel is long and intriguing. Portions of their story are recounted in the memoirs of their son, George Roscoe Williams, and a thorough discussion is provided in Adair Lara’s definitive History of Petaluma, A California River Town. Adair Lara succinctly summed up George Williams’ legacy when she wrote, “It is ironic that Williams is remembered most in Petaluma history not for his ambitious hotel schemes, his land dealings, or his civic contributions, but for that idle moment early in 1856 when, out of longing to see his daughter again, or perhaps simply on impulse, he drew a rough sketch of Petaluma Creek and sent it off to John A. McNear, a young cousin who had married his daughter, Clara… In that moment, he changed Petaluma forever.”
George and Mehitable celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in November of 1898. They both died in 1899 and were buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Hill Memorial Park.
Family Affiliation: George Bailey Williams’ mother was Elizabeth “Betsy” Bailey Williams (1792-1882). His wife was Mehitable (Mehetabel)Lilly Williams (1807-1899), and his children were: Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866), George Roscoe Williams (1839-1934), Rosetta Lilly Williams Weeks (1842-1899), and Laura J. Williams Barstow (1842-1904). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81648868/george-bailey-williams
Bibliography: Primary source: George Roscoe William, My First Fifty Years in California, (The original copy of this memoir is at the Bancroft Library, and a copy is available at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum. Secondary sources: Adair Lara, History of Petaluma, A California River Town, 1982, pp. 56-61.
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite, approximately 6.25 x 10.5 cm
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: This carte de visite’s portrait is contained within a vertical oval.
Description, back: Hugh Anderson’s imprint is on the center of the back of this carte de visite. Anderson created several versions of his Petaluma imprint. An expanded, possibly later, version appears here. It is printed in red ink and includes four lines of text, each in a different font. The text is embellished above and below with a horizontally flipped, elaborate flourish.
Date: January 1872 to December 1873
Condition: On the front side of this card here is heavy foxing and many yellow stains.
Owner: The James Allen Family Collection, digital copy by permission.
Reproduction rights: The Petaluma Museum Association makes no assertions as to ownership of any original copyrights to the digitized images here reproduced. These images are intended for personal or research use only. Any other kind of use, including, but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the Association. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for the proposed use.