Manuel J. King
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913

It is always a source of inspiration to read of the lives 
of men who through their own efforts have risen from an 
impecunious position to one of affluence and yet in so 
doing have maintained their honor intact and enjoy the 
respect and esteem of their fellow citizens.  Such a life 
is that of Manuel J. King who owns five ranches in Pima 
County, where he is extensively engaged in the cattle 
business.  He was born in Alameda County California on 
December 17, 1867 and is a son of Andrew J. King who was 
one of the pioneers of that state.  The father located in 
California in 1848 and for some years thereafter engaged 
in prospecting and mining but subsequently turned his 
attention to agricultural pursuits, developing land in 
Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Manuel J. King was reared at home and given the 
advantages of a common school education.  After 
laying aside his textbooks he assisted his father 
in the cultivation of the ranch at San Leandro, 
remaining at home until he was about nineteen.  
In 1886 he came to Tucson Arizona and went on the 
range as a cowboy with the baboquivari Land and 
Cattle Company in the Sasabe Valley.  He was 
ambitious and enterprising and from time to 
time invested in cattle.  These he would later 
sell at an advance and invest again following 
this method until he had accumulated enough 
money to establish a ranch of his own.  In 
1896 he took up a tract of government land 
on which he made the necessary improvements 
and then invested the remainder of his capital 
in cattle.  Careful management and the exercise 
of intelligence and good judgment in the direction 
of his undertakings brought the usual reward and 
each year witnessed an advance in his career.  As 
the years passed he increased his herds and extended 
his holdings until he now owns five ranches, which 
aggregate two thousand acres.  Three of these are 
located in the Baboquivari Mountains and the other 
tow in the Sasabe Valley and are used for cattle 
ranges while during a part of the season his cattle 
are turned out upon the public domain.

In 1896 Mr. King married miss Margaret Corra, a 
native of Mexico and to them have been born five 
children:  Margaret, Mary, John, Joseph and Walter.  
The family resided on one of the ranches until 1907 
when Mr. King erected a comfortable residence on 
South Stone Avenue in Tucson an removed to that 
city in order to give his children better educational 
advantages.  He is still operating his ranches, but 
he is also directing his energies along other 
business lines and in 1910 in company with W.B. 
Coberly established the Tucson Iron Works which 
they sold in 1912 to the Steinfeld Company.




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