Williams, Arizona - Arizona Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The area around what now is Williams, Arizona, was first explored by
a Mountain Man who came to this area in 1876, William Shirley
Williams, who was called “Old Bill”.
The town site was created by a cowboy named C.T. Rogers in 1879.
Railroad workers put their camp on the map when they began
construction on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1881 this
camp had enough inhabitants to qualify for a post office, requiring them
to pick a name. They decided on Williams, to honor old Bill.
The railroad reached Williams in 1882.
In 1883 the Saginaw Lumber Company (later Saginaw and Manistee)
moved to town. This tamed Williams as they employed hundreds of men
who brought their families.
In 1890, copper was discovered north of Williams, touching off a
mining boom that lasted for a decade. When the mining boom ran out,
the Santé Fe Railway took over the defunct mining railroad and extended
it into a scenic line to the Grand Canyon.
The first train full of tourists rolled into the Canyon depot on
September 17, 1901. Williams’ trademark, “Gateway to the Grand
Canyon”®, was established in 1984.
The scenic Grand Canyon Railway was reopened in 1989 after
extensive refurbishing.
Williams is the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40.
On October 13, 1984, traffic was officially diverted.
The Mother Road has made Williams a Mecca for Route 66 enthusiasts.