William P. King

As printed in 1906

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. Of this family Nathan served in the army of the Potomac throughout the

As printed in A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.