John Williams

Williams built at a spring in the center of his ranch, three miles south of present Mullin, and the settlement that grew there became the trading post for a thinly settled area. A mill went up in 1877, and its stone walls became the permanent register where cattle brands were posted. In its peak years the place served as headquarters for West Texas cattlemen, who held many conferences there. Its decline came from the railroad's failure to arrive and from strong disagreements between old and new residents. By 1958 perhaps four houses stood inside the old city limits.

What the plaque says

John Williams (February 6, 1804-August 4, 1871) One of the earliest permanent settlers of Brown and Mills counties, North Carolinian John Williams migrated to this area in 1855 and helped start the local cattle industry. Williams Ranch settlement grew up around his homestead, and Herd Pen Branch of Mullin Creek took its name from his roundup pens. Married to Annie Epley, he had five sons, William L., George W., John T., James D., David A., and one daughter, Elizabeth C., all pioneers of the community. (1976)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Lake Brownwood State Park — 33 mi
  A CCC park on a reservoir that filled in a single flood before its dam was done, with stone cabins, a hilltop dance pavilion and a grand staircase climbed by dancers arriving by boat.

More markers nearby

• The Settlement of Williams Ranch — 3.3 mi
• Mullin United Methodist Church — 3.4 mi
• Site of Chesser Valley Community — 4.2 mi
• Ratler, Texas and the Renfro Dam — 5.7 mi