William continued to live at and run the Flat Rock Hotel after his marriage to Catherine A. Vaughan, where all his children were born. He sold the Hotel including his family portion of the farm in 1867 to the Reading Railroad. "He started out in life as a poor boy and worked himself up to his high standing in later years by hard work and business qualifications. He was a lifelong Democrat and filled various political positions from time to time. He served twenty-one years as a school director, twelve years in Lower Merion and nine years in Norriton. He served as road supervisor in each township and as auditor. He also served one term as county commissioner, having been elected in 1866 He was for many years one of the most prominent contractors in the county, and he built a number of county bridges. During the last ten years of his life, in partnership with his son Thomas V., he made a specialty of laying concret pavements and similar work." From The History of Lower Merion Township. Information received from Dean Grow's The Grow Family of Lower Merion.