A veteran of the War of 1812, Stephen Williams left his native North Carolina and followed the path of a major migration movement to Georgia and Alabama before coming to Texas in 1832. In 1843 he received a Texas land grant in Washington County, where he established himself as a prominent landowner and ardent member of the Baptist Church. He is best remembered for his role in the early development of the Baptist faith in Texas as a founding member of the Texas Baptist Education Society. Williams' Fayette County farmstead remained in his family for over 115 years. (1992)