Williams County was originally part of Defiance County, with Defiance as the county seat. The area was later split into Williams and Defiance counties. Bryan was named the seat for the new county, but not without conflict; the village of Montpelier was considered a more centralized location. The people of Montpelier petitioned the state legislature, but in the end Bryan was named county seat because of its greater industrial and commercial importance and because of its higher population. To this day, many people still argue about the state's decision and a rivalry of sorts remains between the two communities.