In 1825, the U.S. Government built a stone house for Chief White Plume, the Kaw chief from the band known as the Half-breeds. Kaw Half-Breed Tract #23 became the site of the Kaw Agency in 1827. The house was located approximately 50 yards north of the Kansas Pacific depot. By time the town was platted in 1865, the stone house was in disrepair. However, the creek named after the old stone house was still a good place to settle, and so Williamstown was founded on its banks in 1865.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2025
