John Henry King was born in Marion County, Tennessee, 25 December 1842. As a young child he moved with his family to Texas in 1846. King was reared in the Horse Creek community of Titus County, Texas. He fought in the Civil War as a member of the Ninth Texas Infantry. King was severely wounded near Vicksburg, Mississippi in the summer of 1863. After the war he furthered his education and became a lawyer. At one time King served as County Attorney of Titus County. He later relocated his private law practice to the neighboring Franklin County. By 1906 he was living in Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas where he died in February of 1909 and was buried at the City Cemetery in Cumby, Texas.

Mr. King wrote what his descendants refer to as the "J. H. King memoirs" in 1906 shortly following the death of his wife, Martha J. Ward King. The entire document appears to have been handwritten on King’s business stationary. The stationary is titled at the top left in bold letters that read, "KING & KING, ATTORNEYS, LAND AND INSURANCE AGENTS, NOTORY PUBLIC". Just above this are the typed names, "J. H. King" and "H. C. King." The document includes 110 numbered pages plus a few non-numbered pages hand titled, "J. H. King Weather Report for 60 yrs. in N. E. Tex.". The first numbered page is dated 23 January 1906 and the last numbered page (p.110) is dated 30 January 1906.

The original handwritten document is now on file as part of the Ben K. Green Papers, collection number AR326, in the Special Collections Division, at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. Ben K. (King) Green, a recognized author of Western Americana literature, was a grandson of J. H. King via his daughter Bird King Green.

• John Henry King Memories of North East Texas 1846-1859
• John Henry King Recalls the Years 1859-1863, Includes Civil War Experiences
• Genealogy and Family History of John Henry King