WILLIAMSON, SAMUEL

WILLIAMSON, SAMUEL (1772-8 Sept. 1834), businessman; SAMUEL WILLIAMSON, JR. (1808-14 Jan. 1884), lawyer, public official, and railroad director; and SAMUEL E. WILLIAMSON (1844-21 Feb. 1903), lawyer, judge, and railroad counsel, comprise 3 generations of a distinguished Cleveland family. Samuel Williamson arrived in Cleveland from Crawford County, Pa., the son of Samuel and Sarah (Miller) Williamson, in 1810, built a tannery, was a trustee of the village of Cleveland upon its formation in 1815, and became associate judge of the court of common pleas. In 1816 he was an incorporator of the Bank of Lake Erie, becoming a director in 1832. Williamson's wife, Isabella McQueen, whom he married in 1807, was a charter member of FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (Old Stone); he was also a member. They had 3 children: Mary, Samuel, and Sarah. Williamson was buried in ERIE ST. CEMETERY.

Samuel Williamson, Jr., graduated from Jefferson College, Washington, Pa. (1829), read law with SHERLOCK J. ANDREWS, and was admitted to the bar in 1832, practicing with LEONARD CASE 2 years, then with ALBERT G. RIDDLE nearly 30 years. He was county auditor, city councilman, member of the Board of Education and the Ohio legislature, and prosecuting attorney. Williamson retired from law in 1866 and was president of Society for Savings until his death. He was a director and attorney for the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad, an incorporator of Case School of Applied Science, and a member of Old Stone Church. Williamson and his wife, Mary E. Tisdale, whom he married in 1843, had 3 sons, Samuel E., Geo. T., and Jas. D. Mary was prominent in the Cleveland Ladies Temperance Union. Samuel Williamson, Jr. was buried in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.

Samuel E. Williamson graduated from Western Reserve College (1864), studied law with his father, and completed a course at Harvard Law School. Samuel E. was judge of the court of common pleas (1880-82), and legal counsel for the NICKEL PLATE ROAD, heading the legal department of New York Central Railroad from 1898 until his death. Samuel E. was a founder of UNIVERSITY SCHOOL and trustee of the Old Stone Church. The first Williamson Block was built on the corner of Euclid and Public Square in 1889-90. It suffered a serious fire in 1895, and the second Williamson Bldg. was erected in 1899-1900, demolished in 1982 for the construction of the BP Bldg. (see BP AMERICA). Samuel E. was married twice. His first marriage was to Mary P. Marsh on 4 June 1878; she died in 1881. They had 2 children: Mary P. and Ethel. His second marriage was to Harriet W. Brown in 1884. They had a son, Samuel B. Samuel E. Williamson is buried in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.