Kentucky native Oscar Waldo Williams (1853-1946) graduated from Harvard with a law degree in 1876 and moved to Texas in search of a drier climate. He worked as a land surveyor as the South Plains opened for settlement and in 1884 accepted a job as deputy surveyor for Pecos County. After serving as Pecos County judge (1886-1888, 1892-1900), Williams practiced law in Fort Stockton, building an office on this site about 1915. An expert in land law and water rights, his interests and investments shifted to oil and gas leases in the region. A keen observer of events and nature, Williams also authored numerous articles on the history, folklore and natural history of the Southwest. (2001)