School Teacher, Klickitat County, WA, c. 1880; Principal, William O. Ames, Building Contractor, Ellensburg, WA. The 1920 US Census indicated that William Ames had no occupation at the time; the Ellensburg and Kittitas County Directory, 1923-1924, however, indicated that Ames still operated a contracting business.

In 1860, Ames's family lived in Tamworth, NH, when William O. was 1. By 1880, at least, the family had moved to rural Klickitat County, WA, where William P. Ames was a farmer. At this time, William O. Ames, age 21, continued to reside with his parents and worked as a school teacher. Between 1910-1920, The Ames Family lived at number 109 East 6th Street in Ellensburg. In 1920, only three of six children lived at home, Willis, Adeline and Houghton.

At William O. Ames's birth in 1859, his father, William P. Ames (born c. 1827 in NH), was a miller, his mother, Adaline Loeler Ames (born c. 1824 in NH), a homemaker. The family had modest wealth; in 1860, the value of William P. and Adaline Ames's real estate was $2400, their personal estate, $200.

He married Sarah H. Ames (born 1863 in CA-died 1933 in WA) c. 1884. Her parents were both from ME.

He and his wife, Sarah, had six children together: Ernest W. (born c. 1885 in WA), Willis P. (born c. 1887 in WA), Hazel M. (born c. 1891 in WA), Helen H. (born c. 1894 in WA), Adaline or Adelyn (born c. 1897 in WA), and Houghton (born 11/19/1900 in Ellensburg, WA-died 07/1974 in Seattle, WA).

Ames was buried next to his wife in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Ellensburg, WA. His tombstone reads: "Here rests a Woodman of the World." He was a member of the fraternal group Woodmen of the World.