Eleanor S. Williams
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Austin Peay State University, Tennessee
I. Biography
Eleanor S. Williams is the Clarksville-Montgomery County Historian, an accomplished Tennessee writer and author. If you have any questions or concerns
about the history of Clarksville-Montgomery County, Tennessee, Williams is the person to look up. Williams is married to James Williams. They have two daughters and three grandsons.
Williams was born and raised in Clarksville-Montgomery County. Williams attended local schools and graduated from Austin Peay State University. Even as a small child, Williams
was interested in history. At the age of ten or younger, she would take a pad and pencil to family gatherings and collect fact and figures about earlier times.
Williams became County Historian in January 1993. Before becoming County Historian, Williams served as Assistant County Historian from 1988 until May of 1992, when she
became the Interim County Historian. Williams served as Interim County Historian until the death of the Former County Historian, Mrs. Ursula Beach, who died in December 1992 at
the age of 92. Beach was Montgomery County's first County Historian, having been appointed when the state first authorized the position of County Historian.
In the early 1980's, Williams began to assist Beach and took over much of the responsibilities of research and making speeches, as well as writing articles for various
publications. Williams is an accomplished writer and has preserved much of Clarksville-Montgomery County, Tennessee's heritage and history. II. Literary Works
Williams has written six books, three of which are out of print. Williams's first book, A Child's History of Clarksville-Montgomery County, is now out of print. Eleanor wrote this
book at the fifth grade level. It was used by the school system until it was no longer available. Henrietta Heritage, a history of a community, is also out of print.
Williams began working on historic landmarks for Clarksville, Tennessee's bicentennial in 1984. Williams was amazed to discover how many of the landmarks had been razed. She
became so concerned that she wrote and published a book detailing some of the remaining landmarks she had loved as a child within the city limits. With the help of Mrs. Ursula Beach, she wrote and published
Nineteenth Century Heritage in 1989. Many of the landmarks in this book no longer exist. Williams then decided that fine old photographs belonging to the collection of Mrs. Ursula Beach should be preserved.
This lead Williams to write another book titled Homes and Happenings, which was published in 1990. It included the old photographs, information on other landmarks and
described events that had occurred in the city and the county, such as fires, floods and disasters. Williams became concerned about structures in the county, so she wrote and published Cabins to Castles
in 1992. This book contains pictures, historical, and genealogy information on landmarks in Montgomery County. This book has turned out to be her most popular because it has been out of print for sometime now. Williams's next
book, Worship along the Warioto, was published in 1995. This book contains pictures and historical information on 100 of Montgomery County's early churches. III. Williams's Other Interests
Williams serves on a number of boards and clubs. Williams serves on Clarksville-Montgomery County Museum Board, the Friend's of the Library Board and the Montgomery County Historical Society Board. She is a member of the Montgomery
County Committee for the state's bicentennial celebration. Williams is a member of the Tennessee Genealogical Society, the Tennessee Writers Alliance, the downtown Civitan
Club, the Women's Federation of Clubs and the Art Study Club. Eleanor is a Tennessee Colonel and has previously served as regent of the local chapters of the Daughter's of the
American Revolution. She is past president of the Montgomery County Historical Society, the former editor of its publication, the Cornsheller. VI. Williams Today
Eleanor S. Williams is a very fine author. Williams's books are written very well. She not only writes very well but she uses pictures in all her books, most of the pictures she uses
in her books are from the collection of pictures belonging to Mrs. Ursula Beach. This is especially appealing to me because I love to look at pictures while I read.
Eleanor S. Williams is a very nice person. I had the pleasure to meet with her Tuesday, May 18, 1999, for an interview, so I could do this paper on her life. Williams said she was
always interested in history even as a small child. She was born and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee. She has lived here all her life. She attended local schools and graduated from
Austin Peay State University. Williams and her husband, James, have two daughters and three grandsons. Eleanor S. Williams is the County Historian for Clarksville-Montgomery County,
Tennessee. She has written and published numerous books over the years. Williams and Mrs. Ursula Beach collaborated on some of those books, in which Williams used pictures
belonging to Mrs. Beach to give the books more meaning and to preserve history. V. Sources Williams, Eleanor S. A Child's History of Clarksville-Montgomery County, Tennessee. Out of Print Williams, Eleanor S. Henrietta Heritage. Out of Print Williams, Eleanor S. and Beach, Ursula S. Nineteenth Century Heritage. Clarksville,
Tennessee Guild Bindery Press: Oxford, Mississippi, 1989. Williams, Eleanor S. and Beach, Ursula S. Homes and Happenings. Clarksville, Tennessee Guild Bindery Press: Oxford, Mississippi, 1990. Williams, Eleanor S. Cabins to Castles. Montgomery County, Tennessee Guild Bindery Press: Jackson, Tennessee, 1992. Williams, Eleanor S. Worship along the Warioto
. Montgomery County, Tennessee Guild Bindery Press: Jackson, Tennessee, 1995 This essay was submitted by a student of Judith Broadbent, a teacher at Austin Peay University at Tennessee.