▁At ▁its ▁pre - C ivil ▁War ▁height ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁the ▁Williams ▁family ▁owned ▁ 1 0 ▁slaves ▁and ▁produced ▁ 2 7 ▁b ales ▁of ▁Cot ton ▁per ▁year . ▁ ▁Cot ton ▁was ▁considered ▁" K ing " ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁even ▁afterwards ▁many ▁far mers ▁including ▁the ▁Williams ▁greatly ▁increased ▁their ▁cot ton ▁production . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁ 9 3 ▁percent ▁of ▁W ake ▁County ▁far ms , ▁including ▁Oak ▁View , ▁produced ▁cot ton ▁with ▁the ▁Williams ▁family ▁growing ▁ 8 2 ▁b ales ▁of ▁cot ton ▁a ▁year . ▁Following ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Williams ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁deleg ates ▁representing ▁W ake ▁County ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Constitution al ▁Convention . ▁ ▁His ▁long - h eld ▁Union ist ▁views ▁made ▁him ▁few ▁friends ▁in ▁R ale igh ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁but ▁his ▁close ▁association ▁with ▁Governor ▁Hold en ▁ens ured ▁his ▁place ▁in ▁dec iding ▁North ▁Carolina ' s ▁future ▁through ▁the ▁Re const ruction . ▁Of ▁the ▁four ▁W ake ▁County ▁deleg ates ' ▁homes , ▁only ▁Oak ▁View ▁has ▁surv ived . ▁ ▁Following ▁Williams ' ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁he ▁w illed ▁that ▁his ▁land ▁be ▁divided ▁among ▁his ▁children ▁and ▁wife , ▁B urch ett . ▁This ▁land ▁remained ▁in ▁B urch ett ' s