The King Families of Berrien County, Michigan

WILLIAM P. KING. No history of Berrien county would be complete without containing mention of William P. King, for his life work was closely interwoven with the early development and later progress of this part of the state and detailed account of his life would present an accurate picture of conditions which existed here when Berrien county was a frontier district. He was born December 4, 1808, at Brainard's Bridge in Rensselaer county. New York, his parents being William and Lydia King, representatives of an early family of Massachusetts. The son at the age of sixteen years became an apprentice to an uncle at Monroe, Michigan, who built mills in this state. In 1885 Mr. King arrived in St. Joseph to enter the employ of the government, engaging in building the harbor. That was the first work on which is the present channel. He sank cribs and did other such work, spending several seasons in that way. He was in the employ of a government contractor, James Mann. During this time he entered land from the government, becoming the owner of one hundred and sixty acres, which is now the present King homestead. He began to improve the property, building thereon a log barn and log house. It was a square timber house all mortised and it is now in use as a barn on an adjoining farm. It was one of the old block houses built in *off seasons" when five or six expert men could give assistance in its construction and in getting out timbers. All shingles were rived and shaved. This stood near the present house and was occupied by Mr. King until he built the residence which now stands upon the place in 1869. His activity in business and deep interests made him very widely known and for one or two years he ran flatboats and steamboats on the St. Joseph river, bringing grain down the river and taking merchandise up the stream to Three Rivers, Constantine and other places. In those days the Wheeler Boat Line and the Sutherland were the principal ones operating and it was in connection therewith that Mr. King made his trips up and down the river, becoming known to all the older settlers as Captain King. In the meantime he was also clearing, cultivating and developing his farm and in the course of years he had two hundred acres under cultivation, having added eighty acres to the original tract. His land lay on either side of the Pipestone road but there was no passage through his farm at the time when he located thereon. As the country became more thickly settled and there was demand for more public highways, however, the Pipestone road was laid out through his farm. In all of his work he was practical and progressive and his claims soon showed evidence of his careful cultivation and spirit of enterprise and thrift. He also invested in other lands and at one time owned all of the land now in the city of Benton Harbor between Brittain and Empire avenues along Pipestone, comprising one hundred and twenty acres, which is now a very valuable property. St. Joseph at that time was the principal business center of the county and it was believed that Benton Harbor would never be a place of any commercial importance. In fact, neither city had become very large or prominent at the time of his death and the family sent to Niles, a distance of twenty-five miles, for a hearse in which to take the body of Mr. King to the place of interment.

In his political views Captain King was a stalwart Whig until the dissolution of the party, when he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. He was quite active in political affairs, attending the party conventions and did all in his power to secure the adoption of the principles in which he believed. At the time of the Mexican war he enlisted for service in the American army and later he received in recognition of his aid a land warrant for one hundred and sixty acres. However, he afterward sold the warrant. In community affairs lie took a helpful interest and was always present at various town meetings and served in nearly all of the township offices save that of supervisor. He was recognized as a real leader in township affairs, his views being respected by all because of his well known fidelity to the general good and his public spirit. Heenjoyed the unqualified regard of the early settlers of the county and his upright life fully merited the trust that was reposed in him. He was reared in the faith of the close communion Baptist Church, with which he always retained his connection. His. house was ever open for the reception of ministers of the denomination and for all other people as well, its hospitality being unbounded.

Mr. King was married in St. Joseph to Miss Jane Kelley, a daughter of James Kelley, a Scotch Irishman. Her father was a strong, powerful man, of fine physique and was a pioneer settler of the county, typical of the life of the frontier. He settled upon a farm bordering the St. Joseph river and his house was a hotel at which boat passengers stopped. It was at Arden and on the Niles road was erected another hotel, the Buckhorn, but his place was always the more important. Sometimes twenty steamboats and other river craft would be tied up to the wharf here and it is supposed that it was at this place where he formed the acquaintance of Miss Kelley, who afterward became his. wife. She survived him for twenty-five years or until July i6, 1894, when she passed away at the age of seventy-two years. The death of Mr. King had occurred on 'the lotli of May, 1869, when he was sixty-one years of age. In their family were eight children: George H., of whom further mention is made; Nathan G., deceased; William P., who died at the age of fifty-nine years; Alexander C, of Benton Harbor; Mary E., the wife of W. A. Preston, of St. Joseph; Nellie C, who was a teacher and is now living at home; Laura B., also at home; and Jennie A., the wife of P. W. Hall, of Benton Harbor.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HENRY L. KING, who owns valuable farms devoted to horticultural pursuits in Benton township, represents one of the old pioneer families of this section of the state. His father, George D. King, was born in Jefferson county. New York and came to Michigan in the fall of 1843 with his wife and two children, Eunice and Henry L., the latter being then but three years of age, his birth having occurred on the 27th of January, 1841, in New London, Ohio. It was there that George D. King was married to Miss Susan Williams, a native of New York. Her parents had removed to Michigan and this it was that decided Mr. King to come to this state. He traded his Ohio land for eighty acres of land in the woods a mile and a half from the Territorial road and about the same distance south of the Watervliet road. He cut a road across from one highway to the other in order to get from the Stanley neighborhood to the mill at Millburg. He was the first man to settle in the locality where he established his home. There was no one to the east or west of him and no one south nearer than Millburg or north nearer than Stanley, a distance of a mile and a half. He settled on his land in the spring of 1844, taking up his residence in a log house and bravely meeting the hardships, privations and dangers incident to pioneer life. From that time on he gave his attention to clearing his farm, cutting out the timber, making states, etc., and as the years passed by he transformed the land into productive fields. His father, Henry King, of Ohio, assisted him to some extent. George D. King made farming his business for many years but spent the last twenty years of his life in St. Joseph, where he died at the age of eighty-two years. As time had passed he had extended the boundaries of his property until his aggregate interests amounted to four hundred and forty acres in different parts of the county, this land being comprised in four farms. He made improvements upon the different places and owing to his efforts about two hundred acres were cultivated and a marked transition from the wild forests to improved fields was carried on. He had one hundred and fifty acres in his home farm and the attractive appearance of his place indicated his careful supervision and practical and progressive methods. He built a plank house as soon as he could and it is still in use after fifty years, being one of the old landmarks of the county which has stood as a mute witness of many changes that have occurred and many events which have shaped the history and molded the policy of this part of the state. Mr. King also owned valuable timber land in the county which he sold to Mr. McGuigan to cut into lumber. He made money by buying cheap land which he would hold until he could get a considerable advance in price. He lived economically, saving his money and thus in the course of years he became a well-to-do citizen and was enabled in his last years to enjoy rest from further business cares. Henry L. King had but very limited educational privileges, for he was busy from an early age. When but a boy he hauled states to St. Joseph, where they were used in the manufacture of barrels. George D. King, not only made a living but also considerable surplus money out of the timber which was converted into spokes, states and ties and also some lumber was manufactured. His life was devoted to the farm until he retired from active business. He lost several thousand dollars through trusting to the honesty of other men. He had business transactions with one man to the amount of six thousand dollars without even taking a note from him. He would purchase timber land from people who made certain claims for it, believing them to be honest. Notwithstanding his losses in this direction he was worth fully twenty thousand dollars at his death. His wife passed away at the age of eighty-one years.

In their family were six children and with one exception all are now living, a sister, Eunice, who became the wife of Merzy

Gustine, having died at the age of fifty years. Those who still survive are: Henry L., of this review; George D., a farmer residing at Mauston, Wisconsin; De Loss, who is living in Benzie county, Michigan; De Golier, who resides upon the old homestead; and DeWitt, who is also living in Benzie county, Michigan. The father was a Whig in his political affiliation in early life and upon the dissolution of that party joined the ranks of the new Republican party. He was very active in politics, never missing an opportunity to vote and though he did not seek or desire political preferment for himself his activity was that of a public-spirited and loyal citizen. Two of his sons, George and Henry L., were soldiers of the Union army in the Civil war.

Henry L. King, whose name introduces this record, remained at home until twenty-one years of age, after which he returned to Ohio. Following the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted at New London, Ohio, in the Eighty-seventh Ohio Infantry for three months' service. He was captured at Harper's Ferry but was immediately exchanged and returned to Ohio. There he re-enlisted in 1863 as a member of Company G, Twelfth Ohio Infantry under Captain Graves, at which time he joined his regiment. His brother George enlisted at the same time. In the spring of 1864 he was sent to join the command of General Steele at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was discharged with his regiment in 1865.

When the war was over Henry L. King returned to his home and was married the following year, 1866, to Miss Esther Lawrence, a cousin of John Lawrence and a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Simonds) Lawrence, who had come from Canada before the war and lived in this vicinity. Her father died while serving in the United States army and her mother, who long survived, passed away at the very advanced age of ninety years. She had lived with her daughter, Mrs. King.

It was in the spring of 1866 that Mr. King began to clear his tract of land of forty acres, which had been given to him by his father. He has since lived upon this place and has transformed it into a very valuable farm. He also worked up the timber and this gave to him a living while he cleared the land. He also has a tract of forty acres near by, but has made his home upon the original forty acres for four decades, his attention being given to general agricultural pursuits. In all that he does he is practical and he works persistently and with determination to make the most of his farm and gather therefrom good crops.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. King have been born six children. Herman, who died at the age of twenty-eight years, was a veterinary surgeon of Grank Rapids, having graduated from the Detroit Veterinary College, after which he was getting a good start in practice when he died. Nellie is the wife of Dr. Leonard C. Conkey, a veterinary surgeon of Grand Rapids. Cuba is at home. Elmo is a veterinary surgeon at Lake View, Michigan. Myrtle is the wife of Flarry Wyman, of Benton Harbor. Bert is also at home.

Mr. King's study of the political issues and questions of the day has led him to give unfaltering support to the Republican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and yet he has never sought or decided office for himself, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his business affairs. Formerly he was identified with George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R., at Benton Harbor and he manifests the same loyalty in citizenship in times of peace that he displayed when in times of war he followed the old flag upon the battle-fields of the south.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CHARLES M. KING, residing on section 20, Berrien township, his time and energies being devoted to the improvement of his farm there, was born in the town of Leslie, Ingham county, Michigan, iVpril 4, 1858, and comes of English ancestry. The family was founded in America at an early period in the history of the new world and from pioneer times the name of King has figured in connection with the annals of Michigan. The grandfather, Rev. Job King, was a minister of the Baptist church for many years and was engaged in preaching at Miliburg in Berrien county at the time of his death in the '80s. He was a man of much influence in the church and a life of consecrated zealand devotion to the cause made his labors most effective in advancing the moral development of the communities with which he was connected. His son, Fred F. King, was born in New York, and became a resident of Michigan in early life. Taking up his above in Pipestone township, Berrien county, he there engaged in farming for three years and also devoted a similar period to the operation of a saw mill in that township. He then sold out and removed to Sodus township, where he carried on general farming for thirty years, harvesting good crops and transforming his land into productive fields. He took an active part in public affairs and his devotion to the general good was manifest in the able manner in which he discharged the various official duties that devolved upon him. He served for thirteen years as supervisor and was also trustee and treasurer of the township for several years and likewise filled other positions. While he is not at the present time so actively connected with public life as in former years, he is still a respected resident of Berrien county and has passed the seventy-sixth milestone on life's journey. He married Susan Freeman, who was born in Ohio and is also living. In their family were eleven children nine of whom yet survive. C. M. King, the second child and second son of the family, was taken by his parents to Ohio when about two years of age and remained there until five years old. The family then returned to Berrien county, locating in Pipestone township and after six years removed to Sodus township. He began his education in the district schools of the former and continued his studies in the public schools of the latter township, where he pursued his studies until he reached the age of twenty-one years. He then went to Valparaiso, Indiana, where he completed the teacher's course in the Northern Indiana Normal School, subsequent to which time he engaged successfully in teaching for about fifteen years in Berrien county. He was for three years at Stevensville in Lincoln township, for two years had charge of the South Lincoln school, for six years was a teacher in Oronoko township and for four years in Sodus township. An able educator he imparted clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired and became classed with the leading representatives of public instruction in Berrien county. At length abandoning the work of the schoolroom he took up farming in Sodus township and in 1900 purchased a tract of land on section 19, Berrien township. After three years, however, he sold this and removed to the state of Washington, where he remained for one year, engaged in farming. He then returned to Berrien county and bought the farm upon which he now resides, on section 20, Berrien township. Here he is engaged in the raising of grain and fruit, having well developed fields and well kept orchards, both of which return good crops.

Mr. King has been married twice. In 1889 he wedded Letha Hogue, of Sodus township, a daughter of Charles and Hannah Hogue. She died in 1890, leaving one son, Clayton M. In 1892 Mr. King wedded Nancy I. Hart, a daughter of Orlando and Elizabeth Hart, of Sodus township, where her birth occurred. There are four children of this marriage, Allison J., Ada Grace, Esther Marian and James E.

Mr. King is a stanch Republican, unfaltering in his advocacy of the principles of the party and active in promoting its growth. While in Sodus township he was elected and served as supervisor for five different terms, resigning that office on his removal to Berrien township. He was also school inspector and township clerk of Sodus township. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and to the Modern Woodmen camp, and he holds membership in the Christian church. During a residence of forty years in Berrien county his life record has always been such as would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny and the name of Charles M. King is one which commands the respect of all with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LOUIS A. KING, M. D., engaged in the practice of medicine in Baroda and Lake township, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, September 21, 1869, the only child of Benjamin and Elizabeth L. (Wynose) King. His parents died of yellow fever in the year 1878, and Dr. King was reared in Nashville, Tennessee, by strangers. He remained a resident of that city until seventeen years of age and in the meantime he learned the printer's trade, which he followed in several places for a period of seven or eight years. He afterward went to St. Louis, Missouri, and ambitious to acquire a better education than he had previously enjoyed he entered the high school, from which he was graduated. Determining to make the practice of medicine his life work, he then entered the Michigan College of Medicine and Surgery at Saginaw and completed the course with the class of 1903. He has since engaged in practice and has also done post-graduate college work. He added to his theoretical training broad practical experience by service in the hospital at Saginaw while pursuing his studies there. He spent between two and three years in college and was afterward for eighteen months in the Klondike, where he was engaged in the practice of his profession and in prospecting. He then returned to Saginaw and soon afterward located in Baroda, where he took up his above in 1903. Here he has a good general practice which he draws from the surrounding county as well as the town, and his professional skill and ability are recognized by reason of the excellent results that have followed his professional labors.

On the 15th of May, 1899, Dr. King was married to Miss Victoria Bell Glidewell, a native of Marion county, Indiana, and a daughter of Leander and Nancy H. (Hightshire) Glidewell, who was likewise born in Indiana. Dr. and Mrs. King now have one child, Robert Warner, born May 28, 1905.

In his political affiliation Dr. King is a Democrat, but without aspiration for office,, although he has served as a member of the board of education and as health officer of Lake township. Fraternally he is connected with Baroda Lodge, No. 435, I. O. O. F. and in the line of his profession he is a member of the County, State and American Medical Associations. He is a very amiable man, who makes friends of all with whom he comes in contact. He speaks German as well as English and this is of much assistance to him in his work. He has an unusually large practice for a town of this size and in fact his professional duties make constant demand upon his time and energies, leaving him little leisure.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.