Description
This collection contains the papers of American author, rancher, and cowboy Frank M. King (1863-1953), who served as a columnist
and associate editor of the Western Livestock Journal.
Includes manuscripts of King's writings about his life and the history of the American West and correspondence,
chiefly expressing interest in King’s life in the West, his books, praise for his writing and activism on American Indian
welfare issues, and submissions of personal stories.
Background
Frank M. King (1863-1953), cowboy, ranchman, editor, and author, was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1863.
King, who was one-quarter Cherokee Indian, went to Texas with his family in 1873,
then to Indian Territory. He returned to Texas in 1876, engaging in cattle driving
there, and moved to New Mexico in 1879. King’s formal education was extremely
limited. He attended a school for two years in El Monte, California in 1880 and 1881
after which he returned to cattle driving in New Mexico and later ran a ranch in
Phoenix, Arizona, with his brother Sam King. King finally settled with his wife
Sophie Klos King in Los Angeles where he served as the Associate Editor for the
Western Livestock Journal, wrote a column entitled “Mavericks,” and wrote books
about western folklore and the cattle industry. His book titles include: Wranglin’ the Past (1935), Longhorn Trail Drivers (1940), Pioneer Western
Empire Builders (1946), and Mavericks
(1947). King died in November 1953 in Los Angeles.
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.