SAMUEL S. KING.
Samuel S. King, a member of the board of county commissioners of Atchison county, was born in Moorestown, N. J., May 16, 1856. One year later, in 1857, he came to Atchison with his parents, John and Violet King, on a boat owned by Dr. Challiss. The King family arrived at Atchison in April of 1857. John King soon afterward settled on a farm six miles southwest of Atchison, where Samuel S. lived until he was fifteen years of age. He then came to Atchison for the purpose of attending the city schools. During vacations he worked for McPike & Allen (later McPike & Fox). After finishing his public school education Mr. King was employed as bookkeeper for some time by White, Washer & King, now the S. R. Washer Grain Company. He was also employed as bookkeeper by McPike & Fox, W. F. Dolan and others until 1881. In that year he was appointed by Senator John J. Ingalls to a position in the United States railway mail service and was sent to New Mexico and Arizona as railway mail agent. Here he remained in the United States Government service for about two years and then resigned to enter the employ of P. B. Brannen & Company as bookkeeper and manager at Flagstaff, Ariz. This firm conducted a jobbing house at Flagstaff which was then the largest town on the railroad between Albuquerque, N. M., and Los Angeles, Cal. In June, 1886, he and his family returned to Atchison and Mr. King became the confidential bookkeeper of McPike & Fox, wholesale druggists, and remained with this concern until the fall of 1897, when he resigned to take up his duties as county clerk.
Mr. King had always been more or less interested in politics and he was elected to the office of county clerk on the Republican ticket in the fall of 1897. He was subsequently reëlected and held the office for nine years, or until January, 1907. He then engaged in the real estate and insurance business which he still follows with offices at 106 North Fifth street. Mr. King was elected mayor of the city of Atchison in April, 1907, and served as the city executive for two years, and later was appointed city clerk to fill out the unexpired term of C. A. Hawk, who resigned. In the fall of 1914 he was elected county commissioner, an office which he is at present filling in a capable and efficient manner.
Mr. King was married April 14, 1885, at Flagstaff, Ariz., to Miss Sarah Hawks, of Newton, Kan. Two children have been born of this marriage, namely, Grace and Victor. Mr. King is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, of which lodge he is a trustee, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Mystic Workers, and the Central Protective Association. There are few citizens who are more highly esteemed, and Atchison county has not a more popular public official than S. S. King.