William A. 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. Pages 805-806

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

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WILLIAM A. KING, who is ably performing the duties of register of 
deeds, to which office he has been elected for two successive terms, 
and who has proven one of the most capable officials Hughes county has 
ever known, is a native of Madison county, New York, where he was born 
June 7, 1865. 

The parents of our subject, Herbert E. and Myra (Gilbert) King, died 
when he was a mere child. His youth was spent in Oneida county, New 
York, in the public schools of which he received his education, and 
afterwards took a course in the Utica Commercial College. He remained 
in that state until 1889, when he went to Pierre, South Dakota, where 
he found employment as bookkeeper for the Locke Hotel Company until the 
hotel building was completed. He then worked under the first two 
managements for one year and then managed that hostelry for about ten 
months, and was engaged in the hotel business in Pierre for some time, 
being proprietor of the Wells House during the third session of the 
legislature of South Dakota. In the spring of 1893 he took a position 
as bookkeeper of the Rust, Owen Lumber Company, of Pierre, and 
continued in that capacity until elected register of deeds of Hughes 
county, in January, 1896. So satisfactory were his services that he was 
chosen to succeed himself, in 1898. He also has interests in the stock 
business, and is one of the prominent and substantial citizens of the 
county. 

Mr. King was married to Miss Jessie B. Burton, on July 10, 1895. Mrs. 
King is the daughter of Isaac and Mary Burton, her father being a 
leading stock man of South Dakota. She was formerly a teacher in the 
Pierre schools. To them have been born two sons, Herbert El. and Harold 
R. Mr. King is a member in good standing of the A. O. U. W. and the 
Knights of Pythias at Pierre. In political sentiment he is a stanch 
Republican, and has always taken an active interest in its movements. 
He is popular and influential, and has been fairly successful, and his 
success in life is due to his own natural ability and industry, as he 
came to Pierre a young man without money or influence.