Son of Albert Gatewood Williams & Edna Augusta McCormack
Husband of Lela Mary Boyer
Served two terms as alderman from Ward 4.
Elected mayor of Murphysboro in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1965, and 1969. Serving as mayor for a total of 17 years.
There is a nice article in the following issue of the Southern Illinoisan newspaper about Joe's last day as mayor. I will copy some of it here, but because of it's length I won't reproduce all of it.
Source: Southern Illinoisan, Sunday, May 31, 1970, Pg. 3
Williams Era Ends
An old popular song that says, "There's been some changes made," well might be the theme song for Murphysboro Mayor Joe Williams, who today marks his last official day of a long period of government service.
Williams has resigned his position effective Monday. His service to the city dates back to 1945.
And certainly there were some changes made during that period.
A capsule look at some of the things the city now has which were not around when Williams first became mayor in 1953, would include:
A new city hall, built without general obligation tax funds and paid for from sales tax receipts.
A new St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, built with citizen donations, federal grants and assistance from the operators of the hospital.
A new Jackson County Nursing Home located at the north edge of the city and later annexed into the city.
Seven different groups of federal housing, including what the mayor likes to term a "red-tape-cutting" development following the 1957 tornado.
City acquisition of the water treatment facility, construction of a sewage treatment plant ordered by the Illinois Sanitary Water Board, and extension of sewer service lines, all under a $2.7 million revenue bond issue.
The city has also recorded advancement changes in other divisions including expansion of both fire and police departments, addition of new equipment in both departments and physical improvements including road improvements and new city lighting.
Williams considered public housing in Murphysboro as the "greatest single advance" recorded by his administration.
"These government programs have made decent housing available for many low income and elderly people who otherwise would never have obtained similar housing and the Jackson County Housing Authority has a top record with the state in financial operation." Williams said.
In a critical self-analysis of 17 years as mayor, Williams said:
"People say I'm conservative, but that's not quite right...I readily admit to being "ultra-conservative." I have always tried to operate the city within it's income and I like to see where the money is coming from before the city gets deeply involved in new projects.
"I am strictly a law and order mayor. I'm glad we didn't have the major problems of our neighbor to the east, Carbondale. I have no objections to peaceful protests but it's a flat "No" for rocks or firebombs.
"I have always thought that if I did make a serious mistake, the newspaper would be the first to jump on me because a newspaper does a lot to keep elected public officials on the straight line.
"I am happy to say I have always had the complete support of the area press, and also happy to say I have had lots of nonpartisan support in the elections.
"If I have any record it must be shared with the people I worked with on the city council and in the city offices."
And so what now?
"I'm going to travel. I have had a touch of travel working with my wife and the Presley Tours, and there are a lot of areas I want to see. I did a lot of travelling back in the early 1930's as a musician with the Henry Busse Band, and that's what I'm going to do now...travel."
Husband of Lela Mary Boyer
Served two terms as alderman from Ward 4.
Elected mayor of Murphysboro in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1965, and 1969. Serving as mayor for a total of 17 years.
There is a nice article in the following issue of the Southern Illinoisan newspaper about Joe's last day as mayor. I will copy some of it here, but because of it's length I won't reproduce all of it.
Source: Southern Illinoisan, Sunday, May 31, 1970, Pg. 3
Williams Era Ends
An old popular song that says, "There's been some changes made," well might be the theme song for Murphysboro Mayor Joe Williams, who today marks his last official day of a long period of government service.
Williams has resigned his position effective Monday. His service to the city dates back to 1945.
And certainly there were some changes made during that period.
A capsule look at some of the things the city now has which were not around when Williams first became mayor in 1953, would include:
A new city hall, built without general obligation tax funds and paid for from sales tax receipts.
A new St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, built with citizen donations, federal grants and assistance from the operators of the hospital.
A new Jackson County Nursing Home located at the north edge of the city and later annexed into the city.
Seven different groups of federal housing, including what the mayor likes to term a "red-tape-cutting" development following the 1957 tornado.
City acquisition of the water treatment facility, construction of a sewage treatment plant ordered by the Illinois Sanitary Water Board, and extension of sewer service lines, all under a $2.7 million revenue bond issue.
The city has also recorded advancement changes in other divisions including expansion of both fire and police departments, addition of new equipment in both departments and physical improvements including road improvements and new city lighting.
Williams considered public housing in Murphysboro as the "greatest single advance" recorded by his administration.
"These government programs have made decent housing available for many low income and elderly people who otherwise would never have obtained similar housing and the Jackson County Housing Authority has a top record with the state in financial operation." Williams said.
In a critical self-analysis of 17 years as mayor, Williams said:
"People say I'm conservative, but that's not quite right...I readily admit to being "ultra-conservative." I have always tried to operate the city within it's income and I like to see where the money is coming from before the city gets deeply involved in new projects.
"I am strictly a law and order mayor. I'm glad we didn't have the major problems of our neighbor to the east, Carbondale. I have no objections to peaceful protests but it's a flat "No" for rocks or firebombs.
"I have always thought that if I did make a serious mistake, the newspaper would be the first to jump on me because a newspaper does a lot to keep elected public officials on the straight line.
"I am happy to say I have always had the complete support of the area press, and also happy to say I have had lots of nonpartisan support in the elections.
"If I have any record it must be shared with the people I worked with on the city council and in the city offices."
And so what now?
"I'm going to travel. I have had a touch of travel working with my wife and the Presley Tours, and there are a lot of areas I want to see. I did a lot of travelling back in the early 1930's as a musician with the Henry Busse Band, and that's what I'm going to do now...travel."
Son of Albert Gatewood Williams & Edna Augusta McCormack
Husband of Lela Mary Boyer
Served two terms as alderman from Ward 4.
Elected mayor of Murphysboro in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1965, and 1969. Serving as mayor for a total of 17 years.
There is a nice article in the following issue of the Southern Illinoisan newspaper about Joe's last day as mayor. I will copy some of it here, but because of it's length I won't reproduce all of it.
Source: Southern Illinoisan, Sunday, May 31, 1970, Pg. 3
Williams Era Ends
An old popular song that says, "There's been some changes made," well might be the theme song for Murphysboro Mayor Joe Williams, who today marks his last official day of a long period of government service.
Williams has resigned his position effective Monday. His service to the city dates back to 1945.
And certainly there were some changes made during that period.
A capsule look at some of the things the city now has which were not around when Williams first became mayor in 1953, would include:
A new city hall, built without general obligation tax funds and paid for from sales tax receipts.
A new St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, built with citizen donations, federal grants and assistance from the operators of the hospital.
A new Jackson County Nursing Home located at the north edge of the city and later annexed into the city.
Seven different groups of federal housing, including what the mayor likes to term a "red-tape-cutting" development following the 1957 tornado.
City acquisition of the water treatment facility, construction of a sewage treatment plant ordered by the Illinois Sanitary Water Board, and extension of sewer service lines, all under a $2.7 million revenue bond issue.
The city has also recorded advancement changes in other divisions including expansion of both fire and police departments, addition of new equipment in both departments and physical improvements including road improvements and new city lighting.
Williams considered public housing in Murphysboro as the "greatest single advance" recorded by his administration.
"These government programs have made decent housing available for many low income and elderly people who otherwise would never have obtained similar housing and the Jackson County Housing Authority has a top record with the state in financial operation." Williams said.
In a critical self-analysis of 17 years as mayor, Williams said:
"People say I'm conservative, but that's not quite right...I readily admit to being "ultra-conservative." I have always tried to operate the city within it's income and I like to see where the money is coming from before the city gets deeply involved in new projects.
"I am strictly a law and order mayor. I'm glad we didn't have the major problems of our neighbor to the east, Carbondale. I have no objections to peaceful protests but it's a flat "No" for rocks or firebombs.
"I have always thought that if I did make a serious mistake, the newspaper would be the first to jump on me because a newspaper does a lot to keep elected public officials on the straight line.
"I am happy to say I have always had the complete support of the area press, and also happy to say I have had lots of nonpartisan support in the elections.
"If I have any record it must be shared with the people I worked with on the city council and in the city offices."
And so what now?
"I'm going to travel. I have had a touch of travel working with my wife and the Presley Tours, and there are a lot of areas I want to see. I did a lot of travelling back in the early 1930's as a musician with the Henry Busse Band, and that's what I'm going to do now...travel."
Husband of Lela Mary Boyer
Served two terms as alderman from Ward 4.
Elected mayor of Murphysboro in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1965, and 1969. Serving as mayor for a total of 17 years.
There is a nice article in the following issue of the Southern Illinoisan newspaper about Joe's last day as mayor. I will copy some of it here, but because of it's length I won't reproduce all of it.
Source: Southern Illinoisan, Sunday, May 31, 1970, Pg. 3
Williams Era Ends
An old popular song that says, "There's been some changes made," well might be the theme song for Murphysboro Mayor Joe Williams, who today marks his last official day of a long period of government service.
Williams has resigned his position effective Monday. His service to the city dates back to 1945.
And certainly there were some changes made during that period.
A capsule look at some of the things the city now has which were not around when Williams first became mayor in 1953, would include:
A new city hall, built without general obligation tax funds and paid for from sales tax receipts.
A new St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, built with citizen donations, federal grants and assistance from the operators of the hospital.
A new Jackson County Nursing Home located at the north edge of the city and later annexed into the city.
Seven different groups of federal housing, including what the mayor likes to term a "red-tape-cutting" development following the 1957 tornado.
City acquisition of the water treatment facility, construction of a sewage treatment plant ordered by the Illinois Sanitary Water Board, and extension of sewer service lines, all under a $2.7 million revenue bond issue.
The city has also recorded advancement changes in other divisions including expansion of both fire and police departments, addition of new equipment in both departments and physical improvements including road improvements and new city lighting.
Williams considered public housing in Murphysboro as the "greatest single advance" recorded by his administration.
"These government programs have made decent housing available for many low income and elderly people who otherwise would never have obtained similar housing and the Jackson County Housing Authority has a top record with the state in financial operation." Williams said.
In a critical self-analysis of 17 years as mayor, Williams said:
"People say I'm conservative, but that's not quite right...I readily admit to being "ultra-conservative." I have always tried to operate the city within it's income and I like to see where the money is coming from before the city gets deeply involved in new projects.
"I am strictly a law and order mayor. I'm glad we didn't have the major problems of our neighbor to the east, Carbondale. I have no objections to peaceful protests but it's a flat "No" for rocks or firebombs.
"I have always thought that if I did make a serious mistake, the newspaper would be the first to jump on me because a newspaper does a lot to keep elected public officials on the straight line.
"I am happy to say I have always had the complete support of the area press, and also happy to say I have had lots of nonpartisan support in the elections.
"If I have any record it must be shared with the people I worked with on the city council and in the city offices."
And so what now?
"I'm going to travel. I have had a touch of travel working with my wife and the Presley Tours, and there are a lot of areas I want to see. I did a lot of travelling back in the early 1930's as a musician with the Henry Busse Band, and that's what I'm going to do now...travel."
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