John Williams (January 7, 1807 in Utica, Oneida County, New York – March 26, 1875) was an American merchant and politician from New York.

Williams was a partner of miller Warham Whitney (1786-1840), whose mill was at the second falls on the Genesee River.

Williams married successively two of his partner's daughters, first Caroline (1812-1836) in 1832 and then Olive (1814-1867) in 1840.

[1] He served as paymaster to New York's First Regiment of Riflemen starting in 1827.

In 1838 he organized the Company of Western New York, known as "Williams' Light Infantry"; they were accepted as a State Battalion of Artillery in 1839 and Williams was commissioned as a major.