Old Bill Williams was the quintessential Mountain Man and Trapper.  William Sherley Williams was born at the time of the American Revolution and had the upbringing of a backwoodsman in his blood naturally.  At one time he was an itinerant preacher and ministered to the Osage Indians taking an Osage wife and rearing two daughters.  He was reputed to be among the meanest and toughest of his breed and was respected and reviled in turn.  Others were of the opinion that he was kindly and considerate.  He was probably a combination of the two depending on who was telling the story.  He trapped the West and spent a lot of time in present day Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona among other spots.  There are rivers and mountains named for him.  He participated in three expeditions, two were with Fremont.  In 1849 Old Bill Williams was killed by a bullet to his head fired by the Ute's, along with a Dr. Kern with whom he was talking who was shot through the heart.  The Ute's claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.  However, it was Old Bill who had participated with the Army in a battle with the Ute's a year earlier.  Still, was given a Chief's funeral.  It did not revive him.