KILGOROUND
LINDA BALLARD

The Kings were another family to leave their mark in Kilgore. Three brothers were born to John Solon King and Lula Viola Browning both of whom were native Texans. John Solon was born in Rusk County in 1848.

"My father, was Jacob Solon King," said Tom King. "He played baseball locally (not professionally) and was known as "Balk" through those days. He was born in Kilgore in 1892 and ended up owning quite a bit of oil property, cotton gins, two ranches and a telephone company in the early '30s and '40s. He was the youngest of the three.

"John was the middle brother and the professional baseball player although he could not hit a left hand pitcher," laughed Tom. "He was born in 1890 and died in 1976. He moved away from Kilgore to Lubbock and built a home just like Tara in Gone With the Wind. Today, it is the home of the Texas Tech Li-

brary.

"A.A" or Asbury Alexander King was the oldest brother. He was born in 1883 and died in 1976. He was the sheriff in 1923 and his last two terms were served in 1936 and 1938. He, too, had two ranches, oil field property and owned 4 or 5 cotton gins.

"All three were Masons and all three were members of the St. Luke's United Methodist Church," said Tom.

"I was born in 1927 and the boom was going strong when I attended school. I enjoyed Kilgore then and still do," he said. "I graduated from East Texas State University with a master's degree in teaching and coaching."

"One of my fondest memories of growing up in Kilgore was when dad had the telephone company. We would go out in a horse and buggy to collect the change from the pay phones. Often times, I would get to keep the change, so, naturally I enjoyed going. He was the one to climb the poles and string the wire to connect the phones," he said. "Sometimes the wind would cause the wires to wrap around each other. Dad would take a long fishing pole along with him in that buggy and when he saw the lines wrapped, he would whip them with the fishing pole and they would unwrap."

Tom met his wife Nell when he was staying at their ranch in Winnsboro. She would ride her horse over to the ranch to visit. They were eleven years old at the time. She became the drum majorette at Mt. Vernon High. They were married when they were eighteen years of age.

Tom taught school and coached in Kilgore for five years and in several other school systems including Breckenridge, Big Spring, Cooper, Hondo and Clarksville. Today, they still own a ranch in Clarksville, but live in Kilgore not "200 yards" from where he was born. Most of the Kilgore High School is located on King property.

Tom and Nell raised two boys and two girls. And today what keeps them busy? "Why, those fourteen grandkids, naturally," said Tom, "with one on the way."

Yes, the King family has left their mark in Kilgore and from the looks of things, it will continue.

+++

Blowing out the candles today are Dana Dill, Jared Jackson, M.M. Redd, Scott Michael Dean, Charles Osburne, Lori Smith, Jill Thrower, Mrs. Jessie Council, Naomi Fontineau, Lisa Cost, Sheryl Miller, Ronnie Yandle, Mildred Nickell, James Hargrove, Bobby Steele, Joe Holt, Laci Trull, Bebe Chandler, Hazel Morris, Melissa Bijlsma, Lynda Vik, Ralph Walters, Donald Sherrod, Tim Hooker.

Celebrating another year together are Michael and Neva Hobbs, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan Fortson, Don and Letha Hopkins.