The Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company and Williams Arizona

  WILLIAMS, ARIZONA AND THE SAGINAW AND MANISTEE LUMBER COMPANY;  THE QUEST FOR ELECTRICITY COPYRIGHT; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (5/10/22) (Williams Electric Light and Power Company;  Saginaw Power Company Corporation)       In 1897 or 1898 C.E. Boyce and J.C. Brown established  The Williams Electric Light and Power Company.  J.C. Brown was the Manager at the Saginaw Mill; C.E. Boyce was known as the "Builder of Williams." The plant was sold on November 1, 1899, to Prince A. Mellick and John Walsh, renaming it the Grand Canyon Electric Light and Power Company (Fuchs, 129, 130.)          The powerplant was located on Bill Williams Avenue, just south of 6th Street.   The company pump house and well were located on Sheridan Avenue, between 5th and 6th Streets.      When, in 1917, the town's powerplant burned, the Saginaw and Manistee proposed providing electricity from their plant. The Company also re-asserted its alleged water rights to the Saginaw Canyon (identified as Saginaw

 SAGINAW AND MANISTEE DAMS; WATER RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY OF WILLIAMS; REGIONAL LAKES (UPDATED 07/8/23) COPYRIGHT; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (5/10/22)     There is a common misconception that Williams, Arizona, is a dry and arid landscape, devoid of any water features. On the contrary, t here are a number of lakes in the region, often man-made and serving to provide water during the seasonal dry months of the year. The area is covered with an abundance of Ponderosa pines and juniper trees, interspersed with meadows and clearings that are appropriately called parks. In addition to the lakes, the countryside is sprinkled with "tanks," small holding ponds, that provide water for the abundant wildlife, and to refresh the cattle and sheep that graze upon the grass.      The limited water resources of the area were needed by the growing community of Williams, the expanding Saginaw and Manistee mill, and the powerful Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Without a community there would be no

WILLIAMS ARIZONA HISTORICAL MAPS: A WALK-THROUGH TIME  COPYRIGHT; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (5/10/22) (All Maps in this section, unless otherwise noted; Williams, Arizona Sanford Insurance Maps; Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division)     The town of Williams is one of those communities that just seems to grow on a person. It is a great place to visit, spend a few days in the many comfortable and affordable hotels, walk the downtown area, or just take a stroll through the neighborhoods. The variety of architecture is remarkable. There are numerous shops to explore and finding those items you've been looking for.  After a day of exploration, there are restaurants to meet the tastes of any hungry visitor. All this, just in the downtown area. Recreation abounds in the nearby region; however, our focus today is on the town's history through time.       Williams is blessed to have a compressed downtown area, easily walked on a nice day. The town buildings are well-documented in t