Richard Williams (congressman)
Richard Williams (November 15, 1836 – June 19, 1914) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Oregon. He was born in Findlay, Ohio, and moved with his family to Oregon in 1851. He studied in Milwaukie and Salem, attended Willamette University, and became a lawyer in 1857. He practiced law in several towns, married Clara J. Congle in 1862, and they had one daughter. Williams moved to Portland in 1872 and formed various legal partnerships.
He first ran for Congress in 1874 but lost due to a split in the Republican vote. He ran again in 1876 and won Oregon’s at-large U.S. House seat, serving from March 4, 1877 to March 3, 1879. He succeeded Lafayette Lane and was followed by John Whiteaker. After leaving Congress, he returned to law practice in Portland and served on the Portland School Board for 20 years starting in 1890.
Richard Williams died in Portland in 1914 and was buried at River View Cemetery.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:45 (CET).