John M. 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 252

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

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HON. JOHN M. KING is one of the representative men of Hand county, 
South Dakota, belonging to that class whose ability and character are 
making a -deep impression upon the life of this rapidly developing 
section of the country. In this broad state with its abundant room for 
individual enterprise, with its hearty appreciation of personal worth 
and its splendid opportunities for individual achievement, the man of 
ability finds the very largest sphere for usefulness and the 
gratification of personal ambition. His abilities will be discovered; 
his integrity will find appreciation; his public spirit will meet with 
recognition and he will be forced into prominence even against his 
will. Mr. King, the present state senator from Hand county, is an 
illustration of this fact.  

He was born in Hampshire county, Massachusetts, April 17, 1840, a son 
of John M. and Lucy (Boyington) King, natives of England and 
Massachusetts, respectively. The father was born in Manchester, 
England, in 1802, and continued a resident of his native land until 
1822, working in a woolen factory there. His father, a Highland Scott 
and an officer in the English army, died about 1802. On coming to the 
United States, the father of tour subject was made foreman of a woolen 
mill in Massachusetts, and during the eighteen years he remained in 
that state, most of the time was spent in Lowell. In 1846 he removed to 
Ogle county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming until his death, 
which occurred in 1889. The mother of our subject died in 1852. Eight 
children were born to them, six sons and two daughters.  

The subject of this review was reared and educated in Ogle county, and 
successfully engaged in teaching school there for some years. The Civil 
war broke out while he was yet in school, but in September, 1862, he 
enlisted in Company B, Ninety-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry, with 
which he served for nearly three years, being discharged in June, 1865. 
He participated in thirty-three engagements, including the battles of 
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, the siege of Atlanta, the battle of 
Jonesboro, and Sherman's march to the sea. He is one of the two 
survivors of the Nickojack Gap massacre, in which engagement in Georgia 
there were six men from his company. Mr. King fortunately was never 
wounded, but had many narrow escapes, and at the battle of Chickamauga 
his coat was shot through in six different places.  

Mr. King returned to his home in Ogle county after the war and 
completed his education by attending a commercial college in Chicago 
for two terms. He then engaged in teaching school for some time, 
followed farming to some extent, and edited and published the Rochelle 
"Telephone," at Rochelle, Illinois, for two years. Coming to Hand 
county, South Dakota, in 1881, he brought the plant here and disposed 
of it, and the name was later changed to the St. Lawrence "Journal." 
The town of St. Lawrence was then known as Siding No. 3, and his was 
the first car-load of goods brought into the county. He took up land 
adjoining the present town site, laid out the place and largely platted 
it. Since locating here he has successfully engaged in farming and 
dealing in stock. 

On the 28th of December, 1882, Mr. King was united in marriage with 
Miss May Parks, a native of Ogle county, Illinois, and a daughter of 
George and Julia (Hollister) Parks. Eight daughters have been born of 
this union, namely: Nora B., Maude E., Mabel M., Bertha G., Alice L., 
Emma P., Etha P. and Frances W., all of whom are still living. Mrs. 
King is a most estimable lady and a consistent member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. 

Politically Mr. King is a pronounced Populist, and has ever taken an 
active and prominent part in political affairs. In 1876 he was a 
delegate to the National Independent Greenback convention, held in 
Indianapolis, and during that campaign canvassed his congressional 
district in the interest of Peter Cooper and his party. He was 
instrumental in organizing the Populist party in his county and state. 
He was elected county commissioner and served as chairman of the first 
board after the organization of the county, and at that time remained a 
member of the board for some years. Later, during the reform movement, 
he was elected to the same body and assisted in restoring the credit of 
the county, which was badly impaired. He was elected state senator from 
Hand county in 1898, and in that office has done much to advance the 
interests of his locality. He is deeply interested in public affairs 
and the good of the community where he. has so long resided. He is 
genial, courteous, enterprising and progressive, of commendable public 
spirit and the highest integrity, and reflects credit upon the 
community which has honored him with the high office which he now 
holds.