Born May of 1850 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Family moved to Salt Lake City spring of 1861 and William drove one of the wagons. At 13 was hauling Coal from Weber Canyon. At 15 worked at Sickles and Humpheys Sawmill.

At 16 enlisted (took his fathers place)for the Blackhawk War. Served in Sanpete County. Attended Deseret University studied BookKeeping, Spelling, Arithmetic and Telegraphing.

At 17 hired out to John W. Young to work on Union Pacific Railroad in Echo Canyon. Went back to University and received diploma in Bookkeeping. Early in 1868 was asked to take charge of the Commercial Dept. and taught Bookkeeping.

At 20 he left the University and was hired by Hyrum B. Clawson as bookkepper for Z.C.M.I. Was called by Brigham Young to start a Commercial School in St. George.

At 21 went with his father, uncles and cousins to Kanab and a canyon 12 miles east to start the town of Johnson. Taught school in Kanab. Major Powells Party came to Kanab and William became acquainted with John F. Stewart, Clem Powell, Francis M. Bishop, Stephen V. Jones, E. O. Beaman, Fred Dellenbaugh and Almon H. Thompson. They taught him Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Geology, Surveying, Map Drawing, Fossil Hunting and Photography. Was asked to join the Powell Expedition as a Topographer.

In 1872 helped map southern Utah and northern Arizona and traveled down the Colorado River from the Dirty Devil River to Lee's Ferry with Fred Dellenbaugh, Jack Hillers and James Fennemore. Wrote a number of articles about the expedition that were printed in the Deseret Evening News.

At 25 appointed Dep. Mineral Surveyor for Utah, elected County Surveyor and Justice of the Peace for Kanab. Called by Brigham Young as Assistant at the Deseret Museum and made a tour of the settlements collecting fossils and artifacts for the museum.

At 26 was ordained a Seventy and elected supervising clerk for the House of Representatives of the Utah Legislature. Studied Entomology and wrote articles for the Juvinile Instructor. Teaching school in Kanab. On the High Council of the Stake. Ordained Bishop of Kanab Ward.

At 28, 1878, elected to Legislature as representative from Kane and Washington Counties. Reelected in 1880.

At 35, 1885 left Kanab for Mexico near La Ascension. Set apart as a Doctor to the Mexicans by Apostles George Teasdale, Erastus Snow and Moses Thatcher.

At 36, 1886, laid out the town of Diaz and called as Bishop of the Diaz Ward by Apostle George Teasdale. Appointed as Agent for the Mexican Mission.

At 42, 1892, sustained and set apart as Sup't of Church Schools for the Mexican Mission. Attended,1893, didication of Salt Lake Temple.

At 62, 1912, run out of Mexico by Poncho Villa Rebels and settled in New Mexico for a short while then moved to Tucson Arizona.

At 73, 1923, died in Tucson Arizona and buried in Binghampton Cemetery in Tucson.