William King (Georgetown, DC)
William King (Oct. 25, 1856 – Jan. 28, 1930)
Biography
- Name: William King
- Birth: October 25, 1856 Georgetown, District of Columbia
- Death: January 28, 1930 Georgetown, District of Columbia
Early life and family
William King was born at 18 Congress Street (now Thirty-first Street) on October 25, 1856. He was the eighth of nine children of William and Christina (Goszler) King. His father was a pioneer coal dealer of the West End and was at one time connected with several of the financial institutions. From 1863 to 1868 he attended the school for boys kept by a Mrs. Brown in the frame house at 3010 O Street northwest. Most of the boys in Georgetown attended the school at that time. He bought his first school books when he was 6 years of age at Ballantyn's book store, then located at Seventh and D streets. From 1868 to 1870 he attended the school of Rev. Parker Hall Sweet, a retired Baptist minister, in a house on Dumbarton Avenue. In 1871 he attended Columbian College, now George Washington University. In 1880 he married Alice Hubbard Pond and they had two sons who survived to adulthood. His wife, "Allie", died on March 12, 1910.
Business career highlights
In 1873 Mr. King became associated with Duncanson Dowling & Co., auctioneers, then at Ninth and D Streets, where he had charge of the office for many years. In 1887 he went with his father, also William King, who owned William King & Son and who was failing in health. The company was founded by Mr. King in 1835 and was located at 1151 16th Street Northwest. He remained there until 1894 when his father died, at which time he became proprietor of William King & Son, which business he conducted with his son, LeRoy O. King, until his death. When Mr. King attended Columbian College, it was located at Fourteenth and Euclid Streets, the gate being on Fourteenth street just above Florida avenue. He used to tell interesting stories about reaching the college, and that there were only four or five houses between Rock Creek and the college grounds. To get there, he had to cross Rock Creek, where the Q Street Bridge was later built, on two boards. Mr. King was a member of the Episcopal Church and a member of the vestry of St. John’s Church, Georgetown.
William King was president of the Farmers & Mechanics National Bank of Georgetown from 1913 until 1919 when he resigned. At the time of his death, he was a member of the executive committee of the advisory board of the branches of the Riggs National Bank. He was also for many years a director of the Washington Gas Light Co., and the Georgetown Gas Light Co. until control recently passed to out-of-town interests. He was also a member of the board of the Washington Loan and Trust Company and the old Arlington Fire Insurance Co. which was out of business by 1930.
Later life and death
The night of January 28, 1930, William King, proprietor of William King & Son, oldest coal merchants of Washington, died at his home at 3114 N Street, of pernicious anemia after an illness of more than two months. Mr. King was 73 years old and lived in Georgetown all his life. Mr. King had a vast fund of information about Washington and Georgetown, having lived to see the two places grow to their present size.
He was survived by two sons, Kenneth H. and Leroy Ordway King, the latter having been associated with him in the coal business for many years, and four grandchildren. Funeral services, conducted by Rev. F. Bland Tucker, pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church, were held from the residence Friday morning, January 31st at 10 o'clock. Interment was private in Oak Hill Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers were J.H. Lounsbury, William Leetch, William Beall, R.D. Weaver, G.L. Nicholson, Charles H. Cragin, Ward Preston, P.G. Stanton, James Young, W.D. Ellett, Spencer Gordon, Paul Fishbaugh, J.W. Chambers and A.C. Chambers.
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, Wm. King was involved with the following bank(s):
- Farmers and Mechanics NB, Georgetown, DC (Charter 1928): President 1913-1918, Director 1907...1928
- Washington Loan and Trust Company: Director 1909-1912
- Riggs National Bank, Washington, DC (Charter 5046): Executive Committee of the advisory board of the branches of the Riggs National Bank 1928-1930
Sources
- William King on Findagrave.com.
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935),
- Evening Star, Washington, DC, Fri., Mar. 1, 1912.
- Evening Star, Washington, DC, Wed., Jan. 29, 1930.