[4] Oliver Williams left his family in Concord and went to Detroit in 1807 to work as a merchant, bringing with him $64,000 ($1.33 million in 2023) in goods to trade.

[5] He opened the Yankee Hotel on his property at Jefferson Avenue and Bates Street and ran it for several years.

[3] Starting in 1827, Gardner Williams moved to Saginaw, Michigan and went into the Indian trade with his brother Ephraim, as an agent of the American Fur Company.

[14] In 1831, Williams was elected to represent Saginaw Township on the Oakland County board, and was appointed as a justice of the peace later that year.

[17] Williams was appointed postmaster of Saginaw in 1840, following the resignation of his brother Ephraim upon his moving away, and held the position for nine years.