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Horatio C. King collection

Call Number

ARC.187

Date

circa 1850 to 1925, inclusive

Creator

Hewitt, Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth)
King, Esther
King, Horatio C. (Horatio Collins)

Extent

0.83 Linear Feet in two manuscript boxes.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

Horatio Collins King (1837-1918) was an eminent Brooklyn lawyer and politician. He ran for Secretary of State for New York as a Democrat in 1895, Congress as a member of the Sound Money Party in 1896, and Comptroller for the Progressive Party in 1912. He also served as a Civil War officer in the Armies of the Potomac and Shenandoah from 1862 to 1865. The Horatio C. King collection spans the period circa 1850 to 1925 and contains materials relating to the activities of Horatio C. King; his second wife, Esther King; and Mary E. Hewitt, a writer and poet who was the mother of King's first wife, Emma Carter Stebbins. Included are albums, clippings, programs and memorials, writings, recipe books, photographs, and scrapbooks. Content also relates to various organizations in which Horatio and Esther were involved, including the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument Association of the United States; the Army of the Potomac after the Civil War; and the Fort Greene Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Biographical Note

Horatio Collins King (1837-1918) was born in Portland, ME and graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA in 1858. He practiced law for two years, and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1861. He served as a Civil War officer in the Armies of the Potomac and Shenandoah from 1862 to 1865. He was honorably discharged in 1866 with the rank of brevet-colonel and returned to New York to practice law once more. He was active in politics, running for Secretary of State for New York as a Democrat in 1895, Congress as a member of the Sound Money Party in 1896, and Comptroller for the Progressive Party in 1912.

King became Secretary of the Society of the Army of the Potomac from 1877 to 1904 and President of the Society in 1904. He was also a prominent member of the New York Monuments' Commission. He was a member of Plymouth Church and a supporter and friend of the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher. He married Emma Carter Stebbins, the daughter of New York merchant Russell Stebbins, in 1862. Emma died in 1864, and in 1866 King married Esther Augusta Howard (1845-1925), the daughter of John Tasker Howard. Esther was a member of the Fort Greene Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution and was regent of the group for four years. The Kings had nine children and lived in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Horatio C. King was also a published writer of poetry and songs, as well as a lecturer.

Source:

  1. Dickinson College. "Horatio Collins King (1837-1918)." In Encyclopedia Dickinsonia. Accessed March 16, 2011. http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/k/ed_KingHC.html

Scope and Contents

The Horatio C. King collection spans the period circa 1850 to 1925 and relates to the activities of Horatio C. King; his second wife, Esther King; and Mary E. Hewitt, a writer and poet who was the mother of King's first wife, Emma Carter Stebbins. Content also relates to the various organizations in which Horatio and Esther were involved, including the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument Association of the United States; the Army of the Potomac after the Civil War; and the Fort Greene Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Materials are arranged into eight folders. Folder 1 contains an album of writings and clippings belonging to Mary E. Hewitt, including a valentine poem written for Hewitt by contemporary poet and good friend Francis Osgood. Folder 2 contains a small assortment of newspaper clippings, mostly dating after 1900, relating to the establishment of the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park, the deaths of Horatio and Esther King, activities and inner politics of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Horatio C. King's political involvement. Folder 3 contains a dedication program for the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, a program for the Society of the Army of the Potomac's 43rd annual reunion, and a memorial booklet for King. Folder 4 contains King's published writings, including a song book for children, a sketch of the Army of the Potomac, personal reminiscences of Brooklyn, and poetry. Folder 5 contains two recipe books, one of which also contains clippings of recipes and recipes written on scraps of paper. Folders 6 and 7 hold two scrapbooks containing clippings covering Horatio C. King's myriad activities, including orations and lectures. Folder 8 contains 1 framed and 11 loose photographic portraits of King family members and relatives. Only a small number of the individuals depicted in the photographs are identified, including two of Horatio and Esther's daughters, Emma and Ethel; and Mrs. John T. Howard, Esther's mother. While the remaining depicted individuals are not identified, most are presumed to be Horatio and Esther's other daughters.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

Reproduction rights for photographs have not been evaluated. Please consult library staff for more information.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Horatio C. King collection, ARC.187, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. B. Strand on behalf of the estate of Emma Percy Gray, 1957.

Related Materials

Related archival collections at the Brooklyn Historical Society:

Missing Title

  1. 1985.002, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims and Henry Ward Beecher collection, 1819-1980

The following titles related to or written by Horatio C. King are also available at the Brooklyn Historical Society's Othmer Library:

Missing Title

  1. King, Horatio C. An Account of the Services of the Silver-Wedding Week in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, N.Y., Edited for the Executive Committee of Arrangements by Horatio C. King. New York: The Christian Union, 1873. Call number BX7260.B7 P59 1873
  2. King, Horatio C. The Army of the Potomac: Sketch; The Phantom Column: Poem. S.l.: s.n., 1898. Call number E470.2 .K53 1898
  3. King, Horatio C. Memorial Day Service: Edward W. Kinsley Post, G.A.R., Tremont Temple, Boston, May 30, 1911: Address. Boston: Norwood Press, 1911. Call number E470 .K56 1911
  4. King, Horatio C. Poem Delivered at the Centennial Anniversary of Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, June 27, 1883. New York: Macgowan & Slipper, 1883. Call number PN6101 .K56 1883
  5. King, Horatio C. Reminiscences of Brooklyn: Paper Read before the Society of Old Brooklynites, March 7, 1891, in Surrogate's Court Room. Brooklyn?: s.n., 1891. Call number F129.B7 K56 1891
  6. Stegman, Col. Lewis R. Sketch of Horatio C. King. New York: Macgowan & Slipper, 1899. Call number CT275.K5645 S74 1899.

An additional archival collection, the Horatio Collins King papers, 1854-1933, is held at the Waidner-Spahr Library at Dickinson College, PA. A description of the collection is available at http://lis.dickinson.edu/library/ArchivesandSpecialCollections/Papers/papers_K.htm#king

Other Finding Aids

An earlier version of this finding aid, containing a complete container list, is available in paper form at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Please consult library staff for more information.

Collection processed by

Kelly A. Chatain

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:26:52 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information

Minimally processed to the collection level.

The collection combines the accessions 1977.195 and 1991.035.

Note Statement

change to complete_collection_level

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: ARC.187 2 of 2 (Material Type: Text)
Box: ARC.187 1 of 2 (Material Type: Text)
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201