Ira M. King

RA M. KING.

Whatever may be said of prophets lacking deserved honor in their own country, the adage never applies to the pioneer in the country which his audacity, commendable in a case of the kind here spoken of, and the energy which he exhibits in making his advances into a hitherto unbroken wilderness which he afterwards calls his own, and which his enterprise opens to the occupation of men as civilized as himself. In a condition of almost unlimited wildness was the county of Noble when the King family first made its appearance there, and through industry and sagacity materially aided in developing the county from its rude condition in [837 up to its highly elevated plane among the leading counties of Indiana in 1902. It will be remembered by the reader that this state was admitted into* full membership in the Union in the last month of the year 1816, and in the interval required for the newbern state to mere into a sphere of usefulness the King family had its home outside the borders of the county of which they afterward became citizens and leaders in its development.

Ira M. King, the subject proper of this sketch, was born in Brimfield, Portage county, Ohio, September 18, 1828; in 1835 he was taken by his parents to Carroll county, Ohio, and thence, in May, 1837, brought to Noble county, Ind., the family settling in Swan township, where Ira M. grew to manhood. ( It may not be improper here to call the attention of the reader to the sketch of Hiram L. King on another page, which will give further information touching this interesting family).

Mr. King ably assisted his father on the farm until twenty-five years of age, when he married, in Swan township, January 2, 1854, Miss Jane Perry, who was born in the state of New York, a daughter of Oliver L. and Mary ( Francis) Perry. The Perry family came from New York to Noble county, Ind., in 1836, and settled in Swan township, where Mr. Perry became a very prominent citizen, and in his early day was elected county commissioner. His death occurred in Swan township when he was upwards of sixty years old, but his widow survived him many years and expired in Swan township of old age.

To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. King were born three children, namely: Imogene, who became the wife of John W. Collins, of Toledo, Ohio, in which city she passed away February 29, 1888, in her thirty-fourth year; the remaining two chil- ! dren were named Oliver P. and John E. After Mrs. Jane (Perry) King was called from earth Mr. King next married, in Noble county, February 14, 1861, Miss Catherine Haines, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah 1 Winegardner) Haines, a sketch of which prominent couple will be found in the biography of Jacob M. Haines, of Avilla.

Mrs. Catherine ( Haines) King was born in Juniata county, Penn.. October 2, 1834, and came to Noble county. Ind., with hen parents in March, 1855. To this second union Mr. King has had born to him seven children, namely: Arthur L., who died in Fort Wayne, August 4, 1895, in his thirty-fourth year; Milton E., who died in infancy, Frank E., who is a resident of Minneapolis, Minn.; Lillie C.; Elton J., residing in Fort Wayne; Alford H.; and Lloyd E., who is an instructor in physics in Purdue University.

Mrs. King has been a member of the Evangelical church for many years, with her husband has been a firm and ardent friend of public instruction and both have taken unusual care to see to it that their own children have had the best possible educational advantages that the early schools of their pioneer days provided and have kept pace with the progress made by modern schools, giving them their moral aid and material support as opportunity has afforded.

When Mr. King was first married he purchased a farm of eighty-five acres, which was all woodland. This he diligently set to work tn clear off, and with the persistent tenacity of the genuine pioneer converted it into a delightful home. But he. of course.

was nut satisfied with this ale me, hut went on increasing his acreage and adding to his improvements, even at that time the best in the township, until he once owned at least three hundred and twenty-five acres, but which he has since reduced to two hundred and twenty-five acres, this number being as great as he cares to handle or superintend.

Mr. King has been a prime factor in the development of Swan township. He is broad minded and generous and willingly gives his influence and means to the promotion of all movements for the increase of the general happiness of his fellow-citizens and the elevation of such as have nut been as fortunate in the acquisition of wealth as himself. Not at all ostentatious or purse-proud, he quietly extends his helping hand to those who need assistance, and many are the blessings that are showered upon his head in secret by those who have been the recipients. cf his county.

Mr. King has been always a stalwart Republican, and cast his vote fur the first nominee of the party fur the presidency, General John C. Fremont.

Charles E. Collins, grandson Mr. King, graduated from Purdue University as a civil engineer and is now employed in that capacity on the L. S. & AI. S. Railroad; the sons of Mr. King, Arthur L., Frank E., Elton J.. Alford H. and Lloyd E. are all graduates from old Purdue and fill exalted positions in various parts of the United States. Mr. King is himself one of the benefactors of this famous institution of learning, as he has endowed it with twenty years' tuition, which is a rich legacy to his children.

Michael Krantz, an uncle of Mr. King's mother, has presented Mr. King with a little

4S2 sheep pelt as a relic of the Revolutionary war, in which Mr. Krantz was a soldier, and the latter fact entitles the children of Mr. and Mrs. King to membership in the honored order known as the Sons and Daughters of the Revolution.

As printed in Alvord's history of Noble County, Indiana ... : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of local biography - memoirs of representative men and women of the county, whose works of merit have ma (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.