Elmer B. King Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 259

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


ELMER B. KING, sheriff of Spink county, and proprietor of a prosperous 
hardware business in the city of Redfield, is one of the substantial 
men of the county, and is well known as an officer of unwavering 
courage and stability of character. He is a native of Geauga county, 
Ohio, and was born November 15, 1864. Both of his grandfathers, Rev. 
Ebenezer Williams and Rev. Harvey King were Disciple ministers, and the 
former was the first Disciple minister on the Western Reserve. Our 
subject was the third of a family of four children born to Daniel G. 
and Mary A. (Williams) King. His parents are both deceased, his father 
passing away when our subject was but three years of age. The mother 
remained on the farm for about ten years thereafter and then removed to 
Chardon, Ohio, where the family resided for three years, at the end of 
which time they removed to Youngstown, Ohio, and our subject entered 
Royen College. His studies were interrupted to clerk in a wholesale and 
retail establishment and in the spring of 1883 he started to California 
with his mother, whose health was poor and a visit was made with 
relatives at Redfield. Here his mother began gaining strength, and the 
California trip was abandoned, and our subject went to work in a brick 
yard. He engaged in the hardware business in partnership with George F. 
Johnson, but in 1896 this partnership was dissolved, and our subject 
engaged in the business for himself.  

Mr. King has figured prominently in local affairs, and has held various 
offices of trust, and is wide]y known throughout his locality. In 1895 
he was elected county commissioner and served two years, and was 
appointed in 1897 to fill the office of sheriff for the unexpired term 
and was returned to the office in 1898 by a good majority, evidencing 
his clean record, and the confidence reposed in him, and the high 
esteem, regardless of party affiliations. In political sentiment he is 
a Populist and an advocate of temperance. He is a popular member of the 
Knights of Pythias and also the Knights of the Maccabees. He is a 
gentleman of much musical talent, taking much interest in band music 
and was a member of the old Redfield Military Band of state renown. He 
is a young man of rare business ability, and destined to be one of the 
leading men of South Dakota. In 1888 Mr. King was married to Miss Emma 
S. Neikirk, a native of Ohio. They have become the parents of three 
children named as follows: Bonnie C., Carl Elmer and Richard, all 
living.