King, John Pendleton, 1799-1888

John Pendleton King (1799-1888) was born on April 3, 1799 near Glasgow, Kentucky. While a young boy, King's family moved to Bedford County, Tennessee. He entered the Richmond Academy in Augusta, Georgia, in 1817. King became a lawyer and practiced until 1829. During this time he traveled to Europe, befriending General Lafayette while in Paris. In 1831, Governor Wilson Lumpkin appointed King as the Judge of the Court of Common Pleas; he was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1833. Also in 1833, King was appointed to the U.S. Senate. He was president of the Georgia Railroad from 1831 until 1878. He financed the completion of the main line to Augusta and a branch to Athens with his own funds, and he built the Atlanta and West Point Railroad.

From the description of John Pendleton King letter, MS 461. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 85845130

...