Cabell County, West Virginia Biography of Austin J. KING ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 122-123 AUSTIN J. KING, of Huntington, president of a dozen leading coal companies in the West Virginia fields, and one of the recognized leaders in the industry, began working in an Ohio coal mine at the age of twelve, and while ac- quiring a knowledge of mining from a practical standpoint he continued his studies in school and eventually completed a course in mining engineering. Even a brief record of his consecutive experience is a stimulating example of the power of an individual to rise above his circumstances. Mr. King, whose full name is Austin John King, was born at Salineville, Columbiana County, Ohio, May 19. 1874. His father, Austin King, was an Englishman by birth, of Irish parentage, born at Portobello, July 8, 1851, was reared there, and in 1870, before reaching his majority, came to the United States. He lived for several years at Salineville, Ohio, was married there, entered the coal mines and for several years was a state mine inspector of Ohio. During 1884-6 he had charge of mines at Leetonia. In 1886 he removed to Leisenring, Pennsylvania, became coal mine superintendent, was for two years, beginning in 1890, a state inspector of coal mines in Pennsylvania, and in 1892 returned to the practical part of mining at Leisenring, the mines in that locality having in the meantime been acquired by the H. C. Frick Coal & Coke Company. He continued with that great corporation as a superintendent the rest of his life except for three years as general manager of the Dominion Coal Company at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Eventually he became chief mine inspector for the Frick Coal & Coke Company, and had held that office for a number of years before his death, which occurred at Scottdale, Pennsylvania, in May, 1915. He was a democrat, a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Church. Austin King married Mary Maloney, who was born in Lancashire, England, August 15, 1852, and died at Scott- dale, Pennsylvania, April 14, 1914. Of their large family of children Austin John is the oldest. Patrick S., a resident of Pittsburgh, is a state mine inspector in Pennsylvania. Frank E., of Huntington, is general superintendent of the Aracoma Coal Company, Sunbeam Coal Company, Thermo- Pocahontas Coal Company, King Fuel Company, Oneida Coal Company, is secretary-treasurer of the Halcon Coal Company, the Standard Eagle Coal Company, the Beckley- Pocahontas Coal Company, the Lick Pork Collieries Com- pany and the Dorkent Coal Company. The fourth child, John R., lives at Pittsburgh and is a mine foreman. Sister Mary Austin is a Franciscan nun in St. Anthony's Convent at Sacramento, California. Catherine V. is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and is a prominent teacher in the public schools of Pitts- burgh. Nora B. is voucher clerk for the H. C. Frick Coal & Coke Company of Pittsburgh. Dr. Edward A. is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with the medical degree, is a New York surgeon, being visiting surgeon of St. Vincent's Hospital of that city, adjunct visiting surgeon of Bellevue Hospital, and a professor of surgery in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College. The ninth child is Mrs. Bonfiglio, a trained nurse, graduate of Johns Hopkins Hos- pital and the wife of a physician and surgeon at Long Beach, California. Thomas A. was educated in Duquesne University of Pittsburgh and St. Francis Xavier University of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, studied law in the University of West Virginia at Morgantown, and is now a mining en- gineer in New York City. Margaret D., the youngest, is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and is teacher in the public schools of that city. As noted above, the education of Austin J. King was acquired in the intervals of other work. He attended public schools in Ohio, the Ingleside Academy of McDonald, Pennsylvania, and for two years was a student of engineer- ing in the Ohio State University. His first work in a coal mine, continuing for a year and beginning at the age of twelve, was in the National Mine at Washingtonville, Ohio. Another year he worked in the potteries at Liverpool, Ohio. For about a year he and his brother Patrick S. alternated in their duties, operating the pumping plant at night in the mines at McDonald, Pennsylvania, and during the day at- tended school. From the age of fifteen to seventeen Mr. King worked in the mines at Houtzdale, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and from August 15, 1891, to September 1, 1893, was employed with the engineer corps of the H. C. Frick Coal & Coke Company. This was an experience that gave him a broader knowledge of the technic of coal mining in general, and following that he took a course in mine engineering in the Ohio State University. Leaving Univer- sity in 1895, from June to October of that year he was shipping clerk in the mine office of the H. C. Frick Coal & Coke Company at Leisenring, then resumed his duties with the engineer corps until March 1, 1900, with headquarters at Scottdale, and at the last mentioned date became division engineer of the Pittsburgh Coal Company. He was on duty there four months, and on July 1, 1900, became chief engineer and assistant general superintendent of the South- west Virginia Improvement Company, with headquarters at Pocahontas, Virginia. During the next ten or twelve years Mr. King has held a number of responsible positions with mining and industrial corporations. December 1, 1901, he was made general superintendent for the Southwest Virginia Improvement Company, a name, changed at that time to the Pocahontas Collieries Company. In August, 1903, he became general superintendent of the Virginia Iron Coal & Coke Company at Toms Creek. January 1, 1904, he began his duties as general superintendent of the James W. Ellsworth Company, with mines at Ellsworth and Washington County, Pennsylvania. For two years, be- ginning in March, 1905, he was chief engineer of the New River Smokeless Coal Company at Rush Run, West Virginia. When this business was acquired by the Guggenheims of New York the name of the company was changed to the New River Collieries Company, with Mr. King as division superintendent. His duties were interrupted in March, 1909, by a second attack of typhoid fever, the first of which had occurred in 1903. After recovering he resumed work July 1, 1909, as assistant chief inspector of the Department of Mines of West Virginia, but on December 1st of the same year was again appointed general superintendent of the Pocahontas Collieries Company at Pocahontas, Virginia. On March 15, 1911, he left to take charge of properties in Logan County, and since that date has been an independent coal operator, with constantly enlarging and growing inter- ests. His home has been at Huntington, since May, 1917. A brief outline of his connections and interests as a coal miner is summarized in the following: President and general manager of the Aracoma Coal Company, Sunbeam Coal Company, Eagle Island Coal Company, King Fuel Company, Oneida Coal Company, Halcon Coal Company, Standard Eagle Coal Company, Lick Fork Collieries Com- pany, Thermo-Pocahontas Coal Company, Beckley-Poca- hontas Coal Company, Dorkent Coal Company and Carroll Coal Company. His executive offices are in the Robson- Pritchard Building at Huntington. Among other business interests Mr. King is a director of the Ohio Valley Bank of Huntington, and has some valuable land interests near White Sulphur Springs. His home is a beautiful modern residence on Staunton Road at Huntington. As one of the prominent coal miners of the country he is associated in membership with the Mining Institute of West Virginia, the American Mining Congress, the Coal Mining Institute of America, which has its headquarters in Pitts- burgh, and is a former member of the American Institute of Mining engineers. He is a republican, a Catholic, a fourth degree Knight of Columbus in Huntington Council No. 963, and is a member of the Guyandotte Club and the Guyan Country Club of Huntington. In November, 1895, at Leisenring, Pennsylvania, Mr. King married Miss Catherine Carroll, daughter of William and Mary (Naylon) Carroll, the latter a resident of Con- nellsville, Pennsylvania, while her father, who died at Leisenring, was a yard foreman in a coke yard. Mr. King lost his wife by death at Charleston, February 8, 1914. She was the mother of nine children: Mary, employed in the office of the state tax commissioner at Charleston; Austin C., purchasing agent for the companies of which his father is president, and who graduated A. B. from Yale University in June, 1921; Helen is a graduate nurse from Mercy Hos- pital of Pittsburgh; William P. is student in the Carnegie Institute of Technology of Pittsburgh; Catherine died at the age of ten months; Paul is employed in mines at Logan, West Virginia; Virginia, Margaret and Harriet are students in St. Joseph's Parochial School of Huntington. On June 27, 1917, at Charleston, Mr. King married Miss Catherine A. Cavey, of that city. For twelve years before her marriage she followed her profession as a trained nurse, being a graduate of the Deaconess Hospital of Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. King have three children: James, born October 22, 1918; John, born December 29, 1919; and Anna, born August 19, 1921.