Willie P. King

As printed in 1910

WILLIE P. KING (1866), photographer and justice of the peace of Jackson, is one of the early day settlers of the county, having resided here forty-three years. He is a native of Adams, Walworth county, Wisconsin, and was born July 9, 1857, the son of William V. and Antonette L. (Porter) King.

When our subject was four years old he moved with the family from Walworth county to Crawford comity, Wisconsin. In 1864 he moved back to Walworth county and made his home with his grandparents, his father being in the army at the time. He moved from Wisconsin to Austin, Minnesota, in March 1866, and on the twelfth day of October following arrived in Jackson county. He resided on his father's homestead in Wisconsin township until 1872, and then moved to the village of Jackson, where he attended the village schools until 1878. That year he moved onto the farm in Hunter township, where he engaged in farming and sheep raising in partnership with his father. In 1882 he bought the farm, his parents at that time moving to Jackson, and conducted it alone until December, 1884.

On the last named date, on account of his wife's poor health, Mr. King moved to Jackson and for the next three years assisted his father in the county auditor's office. In the spring of

1887 he moved to Jasper, Minnesota, where he worked at carpenter work one year. From

1888 to the summer of 1891 Mr. King resided in Windom, working in a photograph gallery and serving part of the time as justice of the peace. He again located at Jasper in 1891 and from that time until the spring of 1896 was engaged in operating a photograph gallery in that town and serving as justice of the peace. He returned to Jackson in 1896 and the next year built on Main street and opened a photograph gallery, which he has since conducted.

Mr. King has often been called upon to serve in an official capacity and has been justice of the peace for a number of years. He was school treasurer in Hunter township from 1882 to 1885 and was elected court commissioner in 1896. He is foreman of Fire company No. 1, and has been a member of the Jackson fire department for twenty-four years.

Mr. King was married to Mary E. Trumbull in Jackson on January 1, 1882. She died February 28, 1887. To this union were born two children, Bessie, who died September 26, 1884, and Genevra M., who is now teaching school in

Pipestone county. Mr. King's second marriage occurred at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 1, 1892, when he married Mary Rovang, a native of Iowa. To this union have been born the following named children: Gracie P., William v., James H. P., Rignald G., Nellie T. A., Anna V., Irve R., Wilbur R. C. and Robert D. Mr. King holds membership in the K. P. and M. W. A. lodges. He served as a deputy organizer for the latter order for a number of years.

As printed in An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.