settled at Akron, Ohio. She passed away in 1863, at the age of forty-five years.
There were six children in the family of Dr. and Mrs. King: J. A., the subject of this review; George H., in the fruit growing and jewelry business in Colorado ; Ina, deceased; Elizabeth, who married George Brookins, a veteran of the Civil war, now living at St. Paul, Minnesota; Oliver J., a farmer living retired at Zearing, Iowa; and John E., engaged in the publishing business at St. Paul.
Jay A. King was educated in the public schools of Akron, Ohio, New Lisbon, Wisconsin, and Eldora, Iowa. He taught school for two years and at the age of eighteen, in the summer of 1863, enlisted at Eldora in Company H, Ninth Iowa Cavalry. He attained the rank of quartermaster sergeant and was engaged principally in scout duty with small detachments, his regiment being assigned to that branch of the service. He continued faithfully until February, 1866, when he was honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa. After laying aside the accoutrements of war, appreciating the importance of further educational training, he took a course in a Chicago business college, after which he became a bookkeeper in the pipe department of the Crane Manufacturing Company of Chicago.
After a year's experience in this line Mr. King returned to Iowa and worked for a few months on a farm, teaching school the following winter. In 1868 he came to Iowa Center and entered the employ of the general mercantile firm of Baldwin & Maxwell as bookkeeper. His ability being soon recognized, he was after the first year made credit man and business manager. The firm was one of the remarkable concerns of those times, controlling a business of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year, although the house was located in a town of four hundred inhabitants. Mr. King continued for seven years at Iowa Center, becoming widely acquainted in the county which he had adopted as his permanent home. In 1875 he was elected county treasurer and continued in the office for three terms. Upon assuming the duties of the treasurership he removed to Nevada, where he has ever since lived. After retiring from public office he associated with Otis Briggs in the Farmers Bank, conducting its affairs for eight years with great success. After a vacation of a few years he entered the grain and lumber business in 1889 at Nevada with O. L. Dunkelbarger under the title of Dunkelbarger & King and has so continued to the present time. He was for six years president of the Iowa Grain Dealers Association and is now president of the Western Grain Dealers Mutual Fire Insurance Association, a position which he has held for two years past. He has been eminently successful in his various business enterprises and has for years been known as one of the most prosperous and influential men in this part of the state.
In 1880 Mr. King was united in marriage to Miss Lillie A. Day, of Ohio, a daughter of E. G. Day, and to them one child was born, Day E., now superintendent of the light and heating plant at Park City, Utah, and