“Three-Legged Willie” aka Robert McAlpin Williamson
716 S Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78626
Get there with Google Maps by clicking HERE
Date Visited: 09/12/2017
If you’re a Texan, you owe a lot to this guy, Robert McAlpin Williamson. He was instrumental in the formation, during the early days, of the “Republic of Texas.” Yes, it was a Republic before it was a state. Mr. Williamson makes my pages, not because of his contributions to Texas, but because of his right leg which was deformed by disease in his teens, and his subsequent refusal to consent to amputation. The submission here is because of the statue, and his decision which earned him the moniker of, “Three-legged Willie.”
As a side note, perhaps contributing to the “odd & unusual” nature of all my posts, ChatGPT lies! LOL I do actually research for these posts. Since the explosion of AI and ChatGPT, I decided to see what AI had to say about “Three-legged Willie.” This post is not about AI, but suffice it to say, “Willie” did not have his leg amputated as reported by ChatGPT, confirmed by more reliable research sources, and my own photos displayed here. I don’t use ChatGPT or any AI in these posts for obvious reasons.
The photo to the right or below (depending on your device) shows “Willie” standing by a bench. You can see his right leg “folded” behind at the knee. This was due to “tuberculous arthritis.” Based on my research, his leg was drawn permanently into that position and was unusable. Rather than undergo amputation, Willie had a wooden “pegleg” fastened at the knee. As seen in the photo, this arrangement gave rise to the nickname, “Three-legged Willie.”
Williamson was born in Georgia in either 1804 or 1806 (both dates have been reported). He was raised in a family with money and was well-educated. When he was 15, he contracted “white swelling” or tuberculous arthritis, which caused his right leg to permanently stiffen at a 90-degree angle behind his left leg. In order to walk, a wooden leg was fastened to his knee, later resulting in the nickname “Three-legged Willie.” He was a studious and intelligent young man and became a lawyer at age 19. He had a prestigious and successful life. Among his accomplishments, he owned a newspaper, was a Republic of Texas Supreme Court Justice, was a Texas lawmaker, helped to form the Texas Rangers, was an author of the Republic of Texas Constitution, and was the namesake of Williamson County, Texas. He was also reportedly an accomplished horseman and marksman.
In keeping with the “odd and unusual” theme here, according to Wikipedia, “the first white person documented playing the banjo.” Who knew? LOL
The photos to the left and right (or above and below if you’re on a mobile device) show the statue from the left and right side respectively.
From the left, you can clearly see the sole of the shoe on his right foot facing the camera due to it’s stiffened position. Hard to imagine how he became a skilled horseman with his leg like this. Did he remove the wooden leg? One of life’s less important mysteries, I guess!
The photo from the right is far less interesting, mostly due to a poor photographer (me) and a lack of knowledge of proper lighting. But, hey, I tried!
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Thanks again!
Joe
