Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 287
HONORABLE STEPHEN KING

The Honorable Stephen KING of Logan (Portrait), was among the earliest settlers of Harrison County, and dates his settlement from May, 1852, bringing his wife and two children with him. Whenever a new country is opened to settlement, with such attractions of soil and climate, such future prospects of growth and business developments as to make it a promising field for the energies of young men scores, and even hundreds, flock thither to take their chances in the great, untried race of life. At the start all seem to be on an equal footing, but if the reader would pass that way in a quarter, or a third of a century, he would find only a few of those who started out in the vigor of their young manhood together. In this connection we do not, of course, refer to those who fell by the way-side and perished, but to those living and active, who have remained from the day of small things. The majority of such settlers do not tarry; a few return to their old homes, while many press forward to other promised lands, or perchance fail of business success. But from out the great mass one will always find that a very small proportion have stayed where they first landed and set their stakes, exhibiting the utmost manly energy and determination to win in the great conflict of life. Each will most likely have earned and saved a handsome competency, besides obtaining an enviable personal record and good social position in the community. Such seems to be the results in nearly every country, and the history of one is for the most part, an epitome of the history of all. About such a proportion win the position and meed of praise due to substantial citizens, while the greater number are seldom heard of among men. Among the vanguard of early settlers in Harrison County, few have borne a more conspicuous, useful and honorable part than Stephen KING, of whom we now write.

Mr. KING is a native of the Empire State, having been born April 27, 1821, in Saratoga County, New York. His father was Ezekiel KING, a farmer, and died May 30, 1831, when our subject was ten years of age. There was a family of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, Stephen being the seventh child. His mother was Mary (SQUIRES) KING, who passed from this life October 25, 1851. Our subject remained at home until the death of his mother, and then bought out the other heirs, and in the winter of 1851-52 sold the old homestead to his brother, Joseph A., and Stephen then came to Harrison County, Iowa. He came by rail to Buffalo, N.Y., and from there to Chicago by the Great Lakes, and from there to La Salle by canal, and from that point to St. Louis by steamboat, and so on up to Kanesville (now Council Bluffs). He first located on section 18, township 79, range 41, and in what is now Cass township, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, which at the time was not in the market, but which he bought in 1853. The claim referred to he bought from an old pioneer, who had been on the place since 1849. It had three log cabins upon it, two of which Mr. KING used for a house and one for a barn. There had been forty acres of land broken here, which Mr. KING at once set about to cultivate, walking to Council Bluffs, where he purchased a horse-team, wagon and harness, for which he paid one hundred and sixty-five dollars, which was an extremely low price, considering the price of horses at that time, but he bought them at a sacrifice of an emigrant who was headed for California, but who had become discouraged, and offered to sell very cheap, wishing to return to Ohio. Our subject did not attempt to break any more ground the first year, but farmed the land already under the plow, raising more corn that year than he had every raised in all his life before. Here Mr. KING and family remained for two years, and located on section 9, township 79, range 42, Jefferson, where he entered forty acres, to which he kept adding until he had four hundred acres. It was all wild land at the time he purchased it, but year by year this industrious worker subdued the native sod, erected buildings and made general improvements, until this place came to be looked upon as second to none in Harrison County.

In the winter of 1869 Mr. KING moved into the village of Logan, to retire from the long years of hard labor, but retained his farm until March, 1888, at which time he sold it.

Mr. KING was united in marriage in Saratoga County, N.Y., December 8th, 1847, to Frances L. MARSH, a native of that county, born November 25th, 1831. By this marriage union there were born six children -- Samuel I., born September 8, 1848; Alva, born April 22, 1850, died April 29, 1883; Reuben, born November 14, 1852; Clara M., born April 22, 1855; Minnie, born November 4, 1860; Willie, born August 1, 1865, deceased September 12, 1874.

For his second wife Mr. KING married Mrs. Hannah ADAMS, December 29, 1886.

Politically, our subject has always been identified with the Republican party, and was elected as the first County Judge of Harrison County, and has held numerous official positions from that day to this, including the office of Superintendent of Schools, to which office he was elected in 1863. In 1855 he was elected County Treasurer, which then included the office of Recorder as well. At the general election of 1863 he was the successful candidate on the Republican ticket for the office of State Representative, serving with credit to himself and his constituents.

In his religious convictions our subject is a believer in the orthodox faith, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Logan. He belongs to the Masonic and Odd Fellows' fraternities, being a member of Chrysolite Lodge, number 420, of A. F. & A. M., and "Woodbine" Lodge, number 405, of the I. O. O. F. at Woodbine.

He has been closely identified with every interest known to Harrison County's prosperity and welfare, from a date prior to its organization down to the present time, having been connected with the early agricultural societies; a teacher on one of the pioneer schools; instrumental in trying to secure early railroads; the upbuilding of Church organizations; organizing the first Sabbath School of the county, at Six-Mile Grove, in Cass township, of which he was made superintendent. It was our subject who delivered the first Fourth of July oration in the county, ever exhibiting a patriotic, public spirit during his thirty-nine years residence in this county.

His son, S. I. KING, who was a boy of but four summers when his parents emigrated to this county is now a prominent attorney-at-law at Logan.

A man's character and standing in a community is best learned by the opinion of those with whom he has been associated for a long term of years, and in this case one has to but converse with any of the old settlers of this county, or attend the old settlers' reunion meetings, with which he has always been connected, in order to gain the correct standing of this man, upon whom all place a high estimate, by reason of his noble traits of character and general manliness.

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