THOMAS KING FAMILY

Thomas King came to Wheatland Township in 1851 from Stewarton, Ayrshire Scotland. He married Annie Birkett from Cumberland England in 1855. They produced the following children: Daniel (1855- 1929), David (1857-1858), James (1858-1936), John (1851-1948), Thomas (1863-1937), Annie (1865-1943), and William (1874-1947). 

Thomas and Annie were active in the Wheatland Plowing Match as it was mentioned in their obituaries that their passing was a great loss to the organization, especially the Ladies fair. Their son Thomas never missed a match with perfect attendance for 59 years.

Their son James was the plowman who took first prize at the first match at a young 18 years old! His story is very interesting as he left the area and went to California to become a valley rancher. He did return to the Midwest several times to plow and in 1880 at the age of 22 he was World Champion. It all began in Wheatland. Another one of his adventures was to outfit a ship for the “98” Alaskan gold rush. They left in February and returned in September with no fortune found and all lost. He returned to his valley ranch in Santa Clara and was a very successful fruit farmer. At Christmas he would send plates of dried fruits to his brothers and sister. His farm was adjacent to Stanford University and at his daughter’s death, the farm was willed to the University.

All the rest of Thomas’ sons and daughter were farmers and landowners in Wheatland and Plainfield Townships. Thomas still has a King grandson on his farm at Normantown, (formally King’s Crossing). Ernest is active in agriculture and at age 91 is renting his land out, but lives in the home Thomas built following the Civil War.

None of James’s brothers plowed but worked with the match and had matches on their farms. Of his nephews, Ernest plowed only once at Big Rock, but that is another story. His grand nephews did plow at the matches, David, Thomas, and James, names sound familiar, also Wylie McMicken. Wylie really emulated Great Uncle James by plowing with horses and mules.

It the last plowing match in 1976, David plowed in the men’s class and tied for first place. His son, Robert plowed in the 15 and under class and won first place. Four generations in 100 years of plowing and retaining their agricultural heritage in a prize-winning fashion. 

Many families in the West Wheatland area supported the Plowing Matches, including Becker, Brown, Culver, Findley, Haag, LeVee, Noggle, Shoger, Stewart, Susemiehl, and Webb, as well as others who came and left. The matches were always a high point of the community each year and are deeply missed.