Dr. E.L. King attended the wounded of the Ashtabula Train Disaster, both night and day to almost complete exhaustion.
EPHRAIM L. KING, M. D., was born Feb. 17, 1830, near Brownsville, Pa., and died March 10, 1886 at Tampa, Florida, of neuralgia of the heart. After his marriage to Miss M Sanborn, of Erie, he moved with his wife to Winona, Minnesota, where he was elected sheriff, and then to the lower and upper house of legislature, where he was foremost in sustaining and carrying into effect the great educational system which lifted that state into its present prominence in the nation. Returning to Pennsylvania he completed the study of medicine. On his return home, he was appointed examining surgeon for his district.
During the fall of 1865 he came to Ashtabula, where with the exception of four winters spent in Florida, he made his permenant home. In this city he was twice elected mayor, and for twelve years served as a member of the Board of Education, most of the time as president. In the midst of his busy professional life he took up the study of law, and in 1878 was admitted to the bar as an attorney. As a physician he took his place in the front rank; his services were as fully at the comand of the poorest family. as at that of the rich. He is mourned and missed, not only by his wife and son, but by hundreds of families in our midst. He was a man of strong convictions, never substituting policy for principle. His religous creed and life began in childhood. He was born of Methodist parents, and manhood found him a profound believer in devine revelation. Like his parents he accepted and endorsed fully all the doctrines and usages of the Methodist Episcopal Church. During 1863 he went forward to the altar as a seeker of religion. Finding no relief for his anxious soul he went to his office and threw himself into the arms of the all powerful Savior, and found pardon and acceptance with God. He at once united with the church and took his place among her active workers as steward and Sunday school superintendent. His medical practice so completely filled all his time that he at last found it necessary, as he thought, to give up his active church work. The absorption of all his strength in professional duty, he at last realized as a great mistake. The last months of his life witnessed a great change. His mind and heart turned again to the ardor of former years to the holy themes and hopes of the Christian religion. Death came unexpectedly, without a moment’s warning, leaving his home desolate, save the tender memories of the fading past.
Dr E L King, ex-mayor of Ashtabula, Ohio, and son of Josiah King, of Perry
township, Fayette county, Pa., died March the 10th, 1986, at Tampa, Florida, of
neuralgia of the heart. Dr King was born on the Carson Farm near Perryopolis
and was raised in Perry township; received his education at Meadville, and in
1849 or 50 went to California in search of gold. Returning in 3 years he
married Miss Mary Sanborn, of Erie, Pa., and moved to Winona, Minnesota, wher he
represented in turn both branches of the legislature after which he returned to
his native county and completed his medical education under the preceptorship of
his brother-in-law, Dr S B Chalfant, of Uppermiddletown, Pa., graduating at the
medical department of the Western Reserve college. He then located at
Monongahela City, Pa., where he enjoyed a lucrative practice for several years,
when he moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, where he built up a practice which lead all
his competitors. But constant application to his profession told on his
physical system and compelled him to seek a home in the south during the winter
season, consequently he had been making his home for the past five years at
Orlando, Florida, during the winter. On March 9, 1896, he, in company with his
son, Dr W S King, left his wife and his home for a pleasure trip to Key West and
Cuba, in unusually good health for him. They reached Tampa the same evening and
had to wait until the next day for a vessel. During the night the Dr suffered
from neuralgia of the stomach and in the morning when about to continue their
journey he suddenly died without a word or any warning. His remains were
embalmed and expressed to Ashtabula, Ohio, where they were interred on the 22nd
and the large attendance at his funeral indicates the esteem in which they held
him. Dr King was widely known in Fayette county and his many friends sympathize
with his aged father in his bereavement.
Ashabula Colony and King City
In January, 1871, E. L. King, president, John W. Hill, vice-president, J. U. Fellows, secretary, and J. R. Williams, treasurer, organized a colony in Ashtabula, Ohio, for the purpose of locating a town in Kansas. Messrs. E. L. King, John W. Hill and Smith Edwards, were appointed a locating committee. They traveled a thousand miles over the State, and were returning homeward without having made a location, when they came into McPherson County, and decided upon the site of King City. The locating committee returned to Ohio, and about the last of May, the president of the company and about twenty-five others, started for Kansas. By June, 1872, the town contained twenty-five houses, and it is probable that if the tier of townships had not been struck off from the southern part of the county, King City would have obtained the county seat. When this was accomplished, however, in the winter of that year, its fate was a foregone conclusion. King City was surveyed by County Surveyor J. D. Chamberlain, in February 1875, it being located upon the west half of the northwest quarter, and the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 26, Township 20 south, of Range 3 west of the sixth principal meridian. The city is now virtually defunct.
‘On June 22, 1871,’ says N. S. Hoisington, ‘I came to what is now known as King City. When I arrived at the woods on Turkey Creek, where the Ashtabula colony had stopped, I found tents, covered wagon boxes, and shanties in which were also a few people who were not natives of Ohio. During the night of my arrival I experienced one of the most violent storms of wind, rain and hail I ever witnessed. The shanty in which I was sheltered, with its inmates, was nearly blown down the bank. Every man during that night was busy holding on to his tent poles. H. D. Fellows were (sic) the proprietor of the shanty in which I was housed, his boarders furnishing the provisions. Himself, N. S. and D. B. Hoisington, and D. D. Carpenter were all camped together. In Norman Allen’s tent to the south were Mr. Allen, Mrs. Mertz (cook), Miss Mary Allen, Charles Allen, and N. D. Allen. In William Morgan’s tent to the northwest were the proprietor, Jeff Beales, and William Firkey (?). West of Norman Allen’s tent was that owned by John Sample, which was occupied by himself and wife, Nellie Sample, and John Drake. L. B. Carr and R. B. Holbrook lived together in a covered wagon box, just on the southwest. Near the old road which led to King City were Albert G. Smith and ______ Gilotte, who used to run a breaking outfit, and they turned over a good many acres of sod in and around King City. Jack Thomas, who married Norman Allen’s daughter, was also one of these early pioneer’s – and a jolly fellow who kept us all good-natured. Our camp was just fifteen miles from the Little Arkansas River. A mile and a half north was the ‘Brickyard Boarding House’, where lived the proprietor of the yard, William Nelson, and his family and ‘hands’, of which I was one. The brick, however, proved to be of no use outside a building, since the first rain that come would wash them all to pieces. A spot one-half a mile from the camp was selected as the site of King City. George Crissy built the first store and did a flourishing business in groceries, provisions, etc. The building was afterward moved to McPherson Centre. Across the street (just 150 feet) R. O’Dell built a hotel, and across the way from the hotel, D. B. Hoisington had his blacksmith shop. South of Crissy’s store Norman Allen, of Michigan, built the first residence, and north of the hotel, Charles Anderson built another house. D. D. Carpenter, John Carpenter, Mr. Bonnell and others afterward built residences, and Dr. S. S. Gregg held forth as a physician in a little office between the blacksmith shop and Mr. Carpenter’s house. These were all the buildings on Main street. On the street east of Main Charles Zang built a house and storeroom, and George Galvin and Harry Morris also made some improvements. South was another hotel built by William West and Fred. Albright. South of this was another residence belonging to Mr. Camp, and south of Norman Allen’s place was a house which had been moved into town by Barney Reichard. L. N. Holmberg also moved a building into King City. He, with S. E. Granger, soon started a good general store. Charles Anderson followed with a few groceries and agricultural implements. After a time John W. Hill and H. A. Hendry built a large store and put in a stock of drugs and medicines. Overhead was the public hall in which Harvey Williams organized the first Sunday school, and in which the village school was also taught. Old Father Shelly used to preach in William West’s hotel once every two weeks. * * After the two tiers of townships were taken from the south of McPherson County, however, and the county seat moved to McPherson Centre, King City fell to pieces.”
By: Ferdinand Meyer V
Ref. https://www.peachridgeglass.com/2014/04/h-k-stomach-tonic-bitters-ashtabula/
Other Information from the about website:
Dr. E.L. King attended the wounded of the Ashtabula Train Disaster, both night and day to almost complete exhaustion.
He was also the owned a drug store on Center St. in Ashtabula, Ohio and was one of the creators of H&K Stomach Tonic Bitters. His partner was Hiram A. Hendry, thus the H&K on the bottle.
Ephraim L. King. King was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania in 1830. He received his education at Allegheny College in Meadville. He resided for a time in Winona County Minnesota and then moved to Monongahela City, Pennsylvania. Next he was a professor of surgery in the Erie street Medical College in Cleveland for a short time. From there he came to Ashtabula in 1865. In Ashtabula he was twice elected mayor, and for twelve years served as a member of the Board of Education, most of the time as president. In January, 1871, Ephraim L. King, and others, organized a colony in Ashtabula, Ohio, for the purpose of locating a town in Kansas. The King group traveled a thousand miles over the State, and were returning homeward without having made a location, when they came into McPherson County, and decided upon the site of King City. Both Hendry and King relocated here. By June, 1872, the town contained twenty-five houses but would not last. At some point he returned to Ashtabula, Ohio to set up a practice and was there the night of the disaster.
Wife’s name was Mary Sandborn King.
Other Articles found:
THE CITY MOURNS
The Angel of Death Calls Suddenly, and Dr. E. L. King Peaceably Joins the ‘Silent Majority’ – The Community Inexpressibly Shocked by the Sad News. – Mrs. King Prostrated by the Great Shock.
The community was inexpressibly shocked Friday morning by the announcement that Dr. E. L. King had on Wednesday, died suddenly at Tampa, while on his way to Cuba with his son, of neuralgia of the heart. At first the report was regarded as a mere rumor but was soon sadly confirmed by Mrs Sanborn who had received a telegram from Will King conveying the sad tidings, and saying that the remains would be followed home as soon as Mrs King, who was completely prostrated by the shock was able to travel.
Dr. King was born in Brownsville, Pa., in 1830. He was married at Erie, in 1854 to Miss Mary Sanborn who with one son survives him. A beloved daughter who was the pride of their heart and who they have never ceased to mourn died several years ago and now lies buried in our beautiful Chestnut Grove. The Doctor received his education at Allegheny College, Meadville. He resided for a time in Winona Co, Minn., removing from there to Monongahela City, Pa, afterwards he was for a time a professor of surgery in the old Erie street Medical College in Cleveland, from there he came to Ashtabula in 1865, where he has since lived with exceptions of winters spent at his sunny home in Florida. He has been twice elected Mayor of this city, has been for many years President of the Board of Education. He was one of our best known and highly respected citizens, and loved and revered by both rich and poor. His services were always ready at the humblest call, to the poor and needy he was always a friend in distress, giving them the same kindly care and considerate treatment with no hopes of earthly renumeration that he did his richest patients. He was a great hearted man; a beloved physician; a Christian gentleman; a loving husband; a kind father. His virtues it woud be impossible to enumerate, his memory is precious and will be enshrined in the hearts of all who knew him. The heartfelt sympathies of all go out to the stricken widow, the bereaved son. May God in his infinite compassion lovingly sustain them in the midst of the great cloud which has suddenly overshadowed their lives.
The body reached this city Monday afternoon and was immediately placed in the receiving vault at Chestnut Grove cemetery, where it will remain till Mrs King is able to come home when the funeral will be held, Dr Will remained in Florida with his mother. Owing to the absence of the family we are able to get only meager details of the Dr’s life and death. At a later date we shall give a more complete report and correct any mistakes we have made in the above hastily prepared article.
