Written by Green Beauchamp and published in The Eufaula Times in 1973 =============================================== Williamston Williamston was settled in 1820. In that year William Williams, father of John L. Williams, William Bush, Jared Williams, a Mr. Copeland and John Danner came in and settled there. These were the first settlers. Danner was a German, a blacksmith and put up the first blacksmith shop in Barbour County. He was an industrious and useful man. Others come in soon after. The place took its name from the fact that a good many Williamses were settled there. William Williams put up the first cotton gin in this county. The first steamboat that ever navigated the Chattahoochee was "The Fanny," a high pressure boat. She landed at Apalachiola in 1826, and made a trip up the river. In 1827 there was a sort of a famine among the Indians. They were about to starve. Some of their chiefs, among them Onushajo, chief of Oakeeoknee town (which by the way, was the name of the town at Prospect Bluff, instead of Chitteeocknee), and Tustenughajo, from Eufaula town, came to Green Beauchamp's store at Williamston, representing to Mr. B. their necessities, and tried to buy corn. They said their people were suffering, but they had no means to pay, except by giving an order on Col. John Crowell, the Indian agent at Ft. Mitchell. Mr. Beauchamp agreed to risk it and made a bargain with the chiefs to let them have one thousand bushels of corn. In a few days, about three hundred Indians came on foot, and on Ponies, and packed off the corn. Beauchamp then rode horseback from Williamston for Ft. Mitchell and presented the order to Col. Crowell who accepted it in writing, but had no money to pay it then. Mr. Beauchamp returned and sold the order to Hardridge, who had an Indian family and lived with the Indians at Oakaocknee town. Mr. Beauchamp got some money and a Negro woman and child for the order. The Negro woman is still living and remains with her former master. Mr. Hardridge is said to have been an honorable and hospitable man. He treated one well who went to his home, but his Indian family never appeared at the table. ========================================================= Richard Price SOS 6-3