Introduction to the Williams Family 

The history of our Guilford-Savage area is truly remarkable, as is the rest of Howard County. It is also remarkable how much more history there is to be discovered – events that seem to have never been written about. That is what makes researching these topics fun and challenging. In our next series of posts, we will bring you some of these lost and hidden historical events surrounding the Williams family of Roxbury, Massachusetts and the establishment of the Savage Manufacturing Company in 1821. 

We will be highlighting this complicated and patriotic family that settled in Baltimore, became prominent businessmen, founders of the first independent church of Baltimore, central figures in the largest banking scandal in the Nation's history up to that point, and secret buyers of the Savage Manufacturing Company that was more famous for the products from its iron foundry than the textile products of sheeting and shirting (cotton duck was not produced during the Williams brothers tenure).

The business ventures of Amos, George, Cumberland and Nathaniel Williams involved being shipping merchants and privateers, significant financial speculation and great risks intertwined with the complexities of the early national banking system, and their own limited knowledge of the textile and machinery business while seizing an opportunity for financial security. It is ultimately about four brothers who viewed their common business interests and goals differently including how they managed their joint enterprise. This divergence led to a heavy debt burden during their ownership and ultimately to the mill's court-ordered auction. Their experience serves as an example of both the ambition and the inherent risks of American industry in the early 1800s.

The ambitions of brother Amos over-leveraged the company, and they could never get out of the original debt accumulated to start the company. The default on their loans resulted in the auction of the company in 1859 which was bought by William H. Baldwin who ushered in an era of expansion and building of a company town called Savage. 

So much more could be written about all of these main characters, the financial operations of the enterprises in Savage, and other involved characters. Every edit made and examination of the details could lead one into an unlimited number of rabbits holes - there are many hundreds of pages of documents that tell more and more of this story.  But this is a fitting end for now.

The original and subsequent buildings of the original company make up today’s must-see Savage Mill, one of the most historical areas of Howard County as well as a thriving, diverse and vibrant shopping area.  Stay tuned to learn about how it all started.