R.M. King


Denison City Directory 1896

R.M. King ran his dry goods, furniture and shoe store at 320 Main Street in Denison for many years.

Ground floor tenants include R. M. King Dry Goods
and a dentist (see sign shaped like a tooth). Name later shortened to "Palace Hotel."

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, November 16, 1902
pg. 1

DEATH OF R.M. KING
A Pioneer Passes Away.  No Better or More Progressive Citizen Ever Lived in Denison.  The Remains to be Interred in Alabama.
The closing week has been a sad one, another big gap has been made in the ranks of the pioneers, Sims, Cutler, and last, R.M. King has passed to eternal rest.
R.M. King has been a resident and a very active business factor of Denison for the past 20 years.  He belonged to the class of promoters who are called "town builders."  While he had always been in moderate circumstances, he was never backward in opening his purse strings to any enterprise that would advance the material interests of Denison.  He has always been  prominent before the public eye.  He was irrepressible in whatever he undertook; he entered with his whole heart and energy into any task which fell to his lot to perform.  He performed his duty as he understood it, and his acts were tempered with justice to his fellow man.
R.M. King was a hard man to understand. There were very few whom he took in this confidence.  The writer heard W.S. Knight and A.W. Harvey say recently that when you understood King he was one of the most agreeable and best men they had ever met in their business career.  They were very much attached to him and no one in the community feels more deeply his demise than these 2 gentlemen.  He was as true a type of the old school of southern gentlemen as ever cast their lot in the Lone Star State.  He was the soul of honor, generous to a fault, tender and true.  He will be sadly missed by a wide circle of friends, to whom he was affectionately attached and by whom he will be sincerely mourned.
Let us illustrate his spirit of fairness and nobility of his nature.  During the democratic primaries a man whom the editor of this paper had befriends on many an occasion when a friend was in need, reciprocated this kindness in columns of personal abuse in his paper, and stooped to the dirty methods of circulating marked copies over the city.  The people of Denison knew Mr. Murray too well to pay any attention to the scurrilous screed.  The spirit of unfairness struck Mr. King so forcibly that he gave expression to his indignation in a scathing letter to the Sherman editor.  His spirit of fairness entered into all his business relations.  His honest word or deeds were never questioned.
The business reverses of 2 years ago might have easily been tided over, but Mr. King was too honest to take any advantage which might have been construed into an intention to be dishonest with his creditors. A number advised Mr. King against this course, but he proposed to follow out the dictates of his own conscience.
All heads uncover to such a man, and let his name be placed high upon the roll of honor.
R.W. King was born at Scottsboro, Alabama, and he was about 60 years of age at the time of his death.  He came to Texas about 20 years ago.  As strange as it may seem, he was at one time a student of Prof. Harshaw's, at the Savoy College.  He was a grown man when he entered the college.  Prof. Harshaw pays an eloquent and enthusiastic tribute to his pupil.  He was greatly attached to him; the entire faculty and students deeply regretted when he left to rustle with the world.
Mr. King was for several years assistant principal of the Bloomfield Academy, and as a teacher he was never surpassed.
Leaving Bloomfield, he cast his lot with Denison.  His first business venture was to purchase a bankrupt stock of Scott & Usey.  His business career from that time never surpassed.
He had his notions of religion and creeds.  He was what the church would call a "free thinker."  He had the courage of his convictions, and accepted nothing in blind faith.  He was not a superficial thinker, but read a great deal and accumulated a large library.
Mr. King leaves a married sister who was detained at home by the serious illness of a daughter.  His nephew, a splendid gentleman, has been with him for the past 3 weeks, and will accompany the remains to Alabama for interment.  No event that has happened in Denison for many years affects us more than the death of Mr. King.  His place cannot be filled, and we can indeed say peace to his ashes.