Kings County Biographies


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WILLIAM J. HIME.
 
        Among the officials of Kings county, none has had a more commendable 
record and none enjoys to a more marked degree the confidence and respect of the 
community than William J. Hime, sheriff of the county. He is a native of Bedford 
county, Tennessee, born on the 4th day of October, 1878. He was educated in the 
common schools and followed farming until 1902, when he came to Hanford. His 
first employment here was in a fruit-packing plant, but he later went to Fresno 
county and worked in the coal and oil fields. However, he returned to Hanford 
and for a time resumed his work in the packing house. He relinquished that work 
to enter the employ of the Hanford Gas & Power Company as a helper and was 
successively promoted until he became superintendent of the plant, holding that 
position until 1916, when he was appointed deputy city marshal of Hanford, being 
assigned to night duty. At the beginning of 1917 he was appointed city marshal, 
but resigned in July, 1918, in order to make the race for sheriff. He had two 
opponents, Lyman Farmer and Frank Blakely, but he was successful in the final 
election, winning by a majority of nine hundred votes. He took the office on 
January 1, 1919, and was reelected in 1922. In the last primary he had three 
worthy opponents�J. C. Griswold, Charles Llewellyn and M. S. Reed�and lacked 
four hundred votes of having as many as his opponents combined. In the final 
election he was elected by sixteen hundred and thirty-nine votes. He has so 
conducted the office of sheriff as to win the heartiest commendation of all who 
are familiar with his work.
        He employs four paid deputies and through his efforts a number of 
criminals have been captured. The fingerprint system has been established and 
every effort is made to conduct the office in an up-to-date and effective 
manner.
        On October 13, 1903, Mr. Hime was married to Miss Lottie Reeves, a 
native of Tennessee, and to them have been born three children : Edwina, aged 
twenty years; and Donald and Delano, twins, aged ten years. Mr. Hime is a 
splendid example of the virile, progressive, self-made man who believes in doing 
well whatever is worth doing at all, a man of keen discernment and sound 
judgment, and because of his industry, right living and faithful performance of 
duty he stands deservedly high in the esteem of his fellow citizens. Mr. Hime is 
a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Woodmen of the World 
and the Knights of Pythias.
 
Source:  History of Tulare County and Kings County, California � Kathleen 
Edwards Small & J. Larry Smith, Vol. II, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1926.
p. 533
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler