Charles Henry King (March 12, 1853 – February 27, 1930) was an

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

businessman and banker who was instrumental in founding several cities in the states of

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. He saw opportunity with the expansion of the railroad west and built up related retail businesses, banks and freight operations. His fortune was estimated at $20 million. He was also the paternal grandfather of U.S. President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

, who was born in his home in Omaha.

Personal life

King was born in

Perry Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Perry Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,336 at the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 2,552 tabulated in 2010. The Frazier School District serves the township. Star Junction, W ...

, the son of Lynch King and Rebecca Shepherd. King married Martha Alicia Porter, with whom he had five children who lived to adulthood: two sons and three daughters, two of them born in Chadron, Nebraska. King's son, Leslie, married Dorothy Ayer Gardner on September 7, 1912. They were married in

Harvard, Illinois Harvard is a city located in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 9,469 at the 2020 census. The city is 63 miles from the Chicago Loop and it is the last stop on the Union Pacific/Northwest Line. History The original owners of the la ...

at her parents' home, but returned to Omaha to live, as that was where Leslie was working. After Dorothy became pregnant, Leslie moved into his parents' home to await the birth of his son, and he named him Leslie Jr. Because of problems with alcohol abuse and domestic violence, Dorothy and Leslie were separated sixteen days after their son's birth. Dorothy moved to her sister's home and then to her parents, who had moved to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

. Her divorce from Leslie was finalized in December 1913.

Wyoming and Nebraska pioneer

Starting in the 1880s, King began to set up stores, banks and freighting operations in locations which he expected to be destinations on the westward expansion of the

Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV), sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was a railroad established in 1869 in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. About The company constructed several lines in Nebraska, inclu ...

. This later became the

Chicago and North Western Railroad The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

. His company was C.H. King and Company. By his strategic vision, he was ready to supply pioneers and settlers. In the process, King was instrumental in the development of Chadron, Nebraska. While the King family lived in Chadron, two of their five children were born there, including Leslie. King also helped found the Wyoming communities of Fetterman City,

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

and

Casper Casper may refer to: People * Casper (given name) * Casper (surname) * Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque * Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426 * David ...

. In 1889 King expanded into banking and on June 10, 1889, added the word "bankers" to the name of his company. In 1896 he sold the bank. Previously known as the First National Bank of Casper, it is now part of the First Interstate BancSystem based in Wyoming and

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

. King then concentrated on a freight business between the rail line terminus in Casper and the mineral-rich Wind River region. He helped found the Wyoming communities of

Shoshoni The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ) are a Native American tribe with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshone: southern Idaho * Western Shoshone: Nevada, northern Utah * Goshute: western Utah, easter ...

, Riverton, and

Arapahoe The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho band ...

. In 1908, King moved his family to the growing regional city of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. To crown his success, he commissioned a three-story, 14-room Victorian mansion in central Omaha at

3202 Woolworth Avenue The Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska marks the location of the house at 3202 Woolworth Avenue where U.S. President Gerald R. Ford lived for a couple of weeks after his birth in July 1913. It was the home of his paternal g ...

. The mansion was noted for its ornate

ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...

, in which Charles and Martha entertained many guests. King managed the Omaha Wool and Storage Company in the city. Leslie, and perhaps his other son, went into business with him as wool traders. King's wealth was estimated to have been up to $20 million.Fred Thomas, "Ford Knew Little of His Omaha Roots, Real Father", ''

Omaha World-Herald The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ch ...

'', July 20, 1987; details cited from ''Nebraska History Magazine'' According to his granddaughter, King was known as the wealthiest man in Wyoming.

Later years and death

Perhaps because of scandal arising from Leslie's divorce and allegations of abuse against him, the Kings retired from business in 1913 and moved to California. When Leslie refused to pay child support, the Kings ensured that their grandson would not be deprived. They paid child support to Dorothy until 1929, shortly before their deaths. They were interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery,

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

near Leslie.

Recognition of historic importance

* The site of C. H. King's mansion in Omaha has been recognized as the Gerald Ford Birthplace and Gardens historic site. * The C.H. King Company and First Union Bank Building in

Shoshoni, Wyoming Shoshoni is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 471 at the 2020 census, down from 649 at the 2010 census. The town is named for the Shoshone Indian tribe, most of whom live on the nearby Wind River Indian Reserva ...

has been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The current occupant is Yellowstone Drug.C.H. King Company and First National Bank of Shoshoni (Yellowstone Drug)
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Charles 1853 births 1930 deaths People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania Gerald Ford family American city founders Businesspeople from Omaha, Nebraska People from Casper, Wyoming Businesspeople from Los Angeles People from Chadron, Nebraska Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Businesspeople from Wyoming 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople