Paul Williamson
Williamson Paul, (sic) of Colerain township, was born May 25, 1837. His paternal grandfather was William Williamson, whose wife was Anna Vorhees; they were of Teutonic and English origin. His great-grandfather, on his father's side, was John Williamson, whose wife was Lucretia TICE. John was born fourth of May, 1749; Lucretia Tice the twenty-sixth of April, 1749. They raised a family of ten children: John, William, Jacob, Garret, Mary, Henry, Ann, Sarah, David, and Luretia. John was married to Hannah Smith, August 29, 1771. They raised a family of ten children, Jacob, Cornelius, John, Lucretia, Simeon, Amos, Catharine, David, Ann, and Henry. David Williamson, Paul's father, was born June 6, 1808; his mother Elizabeth Huston, was born April 24, 1814. They were married May 22, 1833. Their children were Hannah, Jean, Paul H, Mary E., and Albert. David Williamson came of Revolutionary stock, his grandfather, John, having served under Generals Greene and Washington, and fought and was taken prisoner during the war. David was an edge tool maker and an early pioneer and settler of Colerain township, having emigrated to this place in 1811, and when twenty-five years of age married Elizabeth Huston. Paul Williamson, their eldest son, was liberally educated and perfected his studies at Farmer's college; for nine months following he was a successful teacher, for which he seems to have been adapted in manner and method. In May, 1857, he went to Iowa and found employment in agricultural pursuits, and in the fall of that year, with three friends, travelled by wagon through the greater portion of this State, Missouri; and Kansas, and during the following winter taught a flourishing school at Aviston, Illinois. In April, 1858, in company with a friend, he started overland to California, meeting at Leavenworth an emigrant train, which he accompanied to the same destination. Their route was via Santa Fe and the thirty-fifth parallel, Lieutenant Beale' route across New Mexico. While on this wearisome journey the party was attacked on the Colorado river by Indians, and eight of their number slain. They lost their wagons and stock, and, passing through a gauntlet of hostile Indians, suffered the most terrible privations, and were compelled to return east a distance of seven hundred miles to Albuquerque, at which place Mr. Williamson left the party, taking his way to El Paso, Mexico, remaining there two weeks, then joining a Mexican wagon train went to San Antonio, Texas. In a short time he left this place for Seguin, Texas, where, for nine months, he again taught school. In the fall of 1859 he made a journey to Columbia, Arkansas, on horseback, where he again became teacher, and filled this position with great success, until the breaking out of the civil war; thence he proceeded to New Orleans, again north to St. Louis and to Cincinnati, in which vicinity he has since resided. From February, 1870, until 1874 he acted as deputy clerk of the probate court of Hamilton county. In October, 1873, he was elected county auditor, which position he filled with credit to himself and to his county for one term; was renominated, but deflated by a very small majority. He was married November 1, 1870, to Miss Ada Jayne, daughter of a pioneer of Clermont county, and of Adeline Leonard, whose ancestry were of Scotch Irish descent, and who came over in the Mayflower. Paul H. is a Democrat. His life is one of startling incidents and romantic adventure.
From History of Hamilton County, Ohio, Henry & Kate Ford, L. A. Williams & Co., Publishers, 1881