Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pioneers
pointed to the west where a dark cloud was forming on the horizon.
His cousin said it was a tornado and that they had better go to the
eellar. But ~Ir. King said, "No cellar for me, I am going to see what
happens." He stayed to watch part of the storm and went to the cellar
just as a large object passed through the house, and shortly before
the house itself left its foundation, leaving only part of the first floor.
Just ten days later, while at work in the field, he noticed another
black cloud rolling up in the west. This time he did not need to be
told what to do and left the team and started for the nearest house.
The storm was even worse than the first one, sweeping everything in
its path. Mr. King decided life in Kansas was entirely too strenuous,
and having heard of the Puget Sound country, decided that was an
opportune time to seek a new location.
The trip was made to San Franciso, then to Seattle and Helllllgham
(then Whatcom) by boat. He remained in Bellingham two years
and was a charter member of the first band organized in that city.
He first came to Orcas Island with Mike Adams, who lived at that
time on what is better known as the J. E. Moore place. Mr. King was
captivated with the island and the next day began to look around for
a homestead location. He picked out the forty acres where he and
his wife resided. He built the little log house of cedar logs, taken
from the ground which is now their famous garden.
In 1885 Mr. King was married to Miss Etta Durkee ,who pasl-ied
away eight months later. In 1888 he married Miss Ella Kepler, who
came from Ohio with her parents in 1884, to locate on a homestead
near Orcas. Miss Kepler had taught school in Ohio, and soon after
arriving on the island she secured the position of teaching a three
months term of school at Doe Bay. Her salary was $23.00 per month
and board. The board was furnished by the different patrons of the
school. Part of the time she had to walk a distance of two and onehalf
miles to and from school. When the term ended at Doe Bay, she
taught a four months' term at East Sound. Her salary there was $25
a month, out of which she paid her own board, which was $6 a month.
After teaching two years she spent a year at the State University, returning
then to the island where she continued teaching until her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. King remained here for many years, but from
1902 until 1906 Mr. King was in the Klondike gold country. In 1910
the family moved to Kamloops, B. C., where they homesteaded and
farmed 800 acres. They moved again in 1916 to Montana where they
farmed 1600 acres. He grew the first corn that was ever grown in
that part of Montana, although cattle raising was the chief industry
on the ranch. In 1923 ?III'. and ~frs. King returned to spend their declining
years on the island.
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