Bill was born on a farm in Polk County, North Carolina on June 3, 1787, the fourth of nine children of Joseph and Sarah Musick Williams. In 1795, he moved with his family to a small settlement known as Owen’s Station in Missouri, located about 16 miles northwest of St. Louis. As a child, he was well educated and spoke fluent French and Spanish, had some knowledge of Greek and Latin, and was widely read.
