George Norris Williams (1866 - 1949)
George Williams was born in Okaihua, New Zealand to parents Charles and Sarah (nee Birch) Williams. Charles Williams was born in England and immigrated to New Zealand in 1854.1) George’s grand-niece reported him as having ¼ Maori heritage.2)
George Williams and Annie O’Grady were married in Alaska in 1896 and in 1900 they were living in the Jack Wade District near Fairbanks.3) Williams was a miner and served several years on the Yukon Council.4)
Williams was elected as a conservative in the Bonanza riding in 1912 and 1915.5) He was appointed Commissioner from 13 October 1916 to 1 April 1918, when George Black was in Europe during the First World War. At the time, Williams was an elected member of the council and also a senior member of the executive office of the territory.6) He called for an early Yukon Council election as two members were absent and he was serving in the federal position. Liberals outnumbered Conservatives when the new Council met. In the fall, Yukon Consolidated Gold Corp workers went on strike over low wages and the high cost of living. Ottawa faced a huge war-time debt and the next federal budget in 1918 reduced Yukon grants by 40 percent and cut the positions of Commissioner and Administrator. Williams was out of a job but not before he approved the Workers Compensation Ordinance in 1917.7)
In 1916, the Williams family, including 10 year old daughter Alice, was living in Dawson at Seventh and Princess.8) George’s son George Wade died of nephritis (Bright’s Disease) in Dawson in 1916 and his mother, Annie Victoria, died in 1932.9) George, his wife Annie, and their son George Wade are buried in Dawson.10)