According to family tradition, William Lake left home when he was about 15 (circa 1842), which may have been about the time his mother died. He went to Tennessee and from there made two trips to California during the gold rush as a scout. His first trip was reportedly in 1849. His brother can be found in California records, but there is no record of him in California. On his way back from the first trip he stopped in Shelby County, Texas where he taught school. He returned there from his second trip to marry one of his former pupils, Nancy Elizabeth Fallwell, in 1855.

William Lake remained in Texas during the Civil War, but joined the Texas State Troopers for at least two brief periods. He is listed twice in Texas Civil War records: 1st Lt., Captain Belk's Company D, 1st Regiment (Panola County) 4th Brigade, Texas State Troops (December 1862); and Private, Capt. William C. Lyon's Company B (Panola County), 4th Brigade, Texas State Troopers (January 1863). He was described in the second record as 5'10", blue eyes, light hair.

He always believed he fought his brothers who were in the Union Army. It is most likely he fought in the Red River campaign of 1864.

William Lake initially settled in Shelby County, but later moved to Panola County, Texas. He settled on a farm, part of which was still owned by his grandson Troy Lake in 1987. It is about 15 miles southwest of Carthage on Farm Road 1971. Today part of the original farm is covered by Lake Murvaul. The house, which later burned, was on the hill not far from the fishing camp cabins. The Lake graveyard where he is buried was on his farm and today is on a hill above the lake.

More About WILLIAM A. LAKE: Burial: Lake Cemetery, Panola County, Texas (Source: Lake Cemetery is located just south of Dotson's Crossing on Lake Murvaul off FM Road 1971, Mt. Enterprise - Clayton, TX).

The above information from Joseph Edward Lake, William and Nancy (Fallwell) Lake's great grandson.