White House Historical Association

William King

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"William King," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whitehouseworkers.org/Detail/workers/499.
Position
Fireman
Years in President's House
circa 1887 – circa 1889
Gender
Male
Presidency
Grover Cleveland First Term
Biography

William King was born in Pennsylvania. However, his birthdate is unclear at this time.1
King began working at the White House by 1887, earning $864.00 per year. He served as a fireman, maintaining the heating systems and fireplaces inside the White House.2 He disappears from records related to the White House after 1889. 


Details about King’s life outside of his White House employment remain unclear. 


 

  1. William King is a very common name. This makes it difficult to determine more about his life without further distinguishing information. Official Register of the United States, 1887, (Government Printing Office, 1887), 21, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109287304&seq=33&q1=William+King.
  2. Official Register of the United States, 1887, (Government Printing Office, 1887), 21, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109287304&seq=33&q1=William+King. 
     
Birthplace
Pennsylvania, USA
Burial Place
Unclear from Context
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