William Larkin Williams

William Larkin Williams was an American farmer and civil war spy best known for being the founder of Atmore, Alabama.

Early life Williams was born in 1807 to David and Sabra Lanear Williams. He was one of 5 kids. When he was a child they moved to Escambia County, Florida. At the time Florida was owned by Spain and due to the Williams family being of Anglo descent they had no permission to live there. They were allowed to stay however in return of produce which they produced on their large cattle farm. The family also had an enslaved black man working for them.

Career Williams served as a spy for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He was captured by the Union Army but was later released after he convinced the soldiers that he was just a normal man traveling to Pensacola. Williams allowed the Florida 13th Calvary to camp at his Walnut Hill home. A couple of soldiers died while staying there and were buried in a small cemetery. After the civil war ended Williams moved to Alabama and set up a supply shop on a farm that he purchased. Workers came to the area to build tracks for trains to drop off supplies to his shop. More settlers came to the area around his shop to set up sawmills and cotton farms. The town was named Williams Station due to Williams being the first settler. In 1897, the town was renamed Atmore in honor of Charles Pawson Atmore.

Later life After the death of his second wife Mary in 1887, Williams married Fannie Bellah who was only 43 at the time while he was 82. He died in McDavid, Florida at the age of 93. He was buried in Coon Hill Cemetery in Santa Rosa County, Florida. He is buried next to his first two wives Margaret and Mary.