Arthur S. & Grace D. King along with their six children followed their Uncle James Sims to Central California, first settling in Corcoran, in 1917. Arthur S King & Grace D. Bordeaux were married in Witcha Kansas in 1909, the couple departed the South due in great part to the segregation of the schools.

Upon arriving in Corcoran Arthur sought to find employment, boarding a train for Fresno, Mr. King step off for a rest in Tulare, and never made the trip to Fresno. Mr. Sal Rosenthal a local Tulare Dodge Dealership owner offered Arthur a place of employment at his auto dealership. Arthur remained with the Dodge Dealership for the next twenty years until 1939 when he needed to devote more time to the family business the King’s café, that was established by Arthur’s Mother, Mary Francis King in 1927. He along with Grace would operate the Café and the Bar becoming owners in 1942 after the death of Mary F. King.

Arthur Still maintained a busy schedule working days and weekends at the café and also working in the field of real estate with his son Charles and Son-In-Law Ed Young. Arthur dreams of one day owning and operating a lumber Mill outside of Tulare, this dream would come to a end after he took ill, and later passed away in 1951. Prior to his death Arthur constructed many homes about the city. One Duplex remains today located on the two hundred block of West Street.

Grace would continue the business until 1956 when she would close the doors due in great part to the once busy South K Street, traffic was now being diverted to the newly constructed Freeway 99 East of Downtown. Mrs. Grace would be proud to see her son William become the first to be ordained as a priest at Saint Aloysius in 1956, and her son Henry B. King, become the first licensed African American Real Estate Broker in Tulare.

Grace D. King would pass in 1984

Henry L. Douglas, along his wife Corinne and two children Antoinette and Douglas Francis, relocated to Tulare in 1921 from Lindsay after spending several years in Fresno. Mr. Douglas became employed as a porter working for Linder’s Hardware. Henry, a religious man, would hold church service in his living room until the time came when his living room could no longer hold all the worshipers. In 1922 James Sims, an early pioneer, donated property at the corner of Elm Avenue and P Street, where Brooks Chapel AME, the first African American Church, was built later that same year. Mr. Douglas remained a member of Brooks Chapel until his death in 1933. Mrs. Corinne Douglas became a Mother of Brooks Chapel along with Sara Ann Richardson and Lucy Jane Archer.

Antoinette Chatmon recalls her days as a young lady growing up in Tulare. When she was thirteen and attending the old Central School, she felt completely isolated and only attended one year before dropping out of school completely. She recalls there were only five or six African American families in the area at that time.

At a very young age Antoinette started working. She worked for James Sims in his second hand furniture store, which was located on Front Street near the Grand Ole Hotel. She proudly displays a chair she bought from his store for five dollars. The chair has been re-upholstered five times, but she still considers that chair her favorite.

Mrs. Chatmon also recalls working for Arthur King in the Kings Café, which was located on K Street. Mrs. Chatmon spoke of how Tulare had changed little by little. She states, “I could have been a rich woman had I listened to Mr. King,” referring to Mr. Arthur King’s desire to get investors in Tulare. Mrs. Chatmon still smiles as she recalls the early years of Tulare. Now ninety-four years old, she still has a clear memory of old Tulare and enjoys talking about it.

During the early 1920’s as the City of Tulare began to grow, the Settlement of Allensworth would began to die out, with the leadership gone in the Colonel who was killed in 1914, The departure of Professor William Payne who return to the Los Angeles area to resume teaching, Many families would find Tulare suitable for their new home. Norvin Powell who departed Allensworth in 1920 would briefly relocate to Corcoran before reaching Tulare in 1921. Daughter Lillian Baugh would recalls her days growing up as a young girl in Allensworth as well Tulare attending a newly erected Wilson School in 1923-24.

Mr. & Mrs. George Washington Archer with their family would also find Tulare their new home in 1922, after serving the community of Allensworth and Tulare County as a deputy sheriff under then Sheriff Court Smith, George a former Indian Scout and non-Commission Officer to serve with the Ninth Calvary, became the first non-white deputy sheriff in the county, and first Native American, His wife Lucy Jane served Allensworth as a mid-wife she would continue in Tulare working at the old Maternity Hospital before her death in 1952

The Editor of Tulare Advance Register once wrote in a March 26, 1982 article Jim Sims legacy a man who very few would know today Mr. Sims recorded as the first African American Real Estate Developer in Tulare, and one of the first to own and operate not one but two business in the city his groceries store located then at the corner of Alpine and O Street, Now Martin Luther and O Street. His second business a second hand furniture store was located on the corner of Tulare Avenue and Front (J Street) in the old Grand Hotel.

Although the community may not be aware of his contributions the members of Brooks Chapel African Methodist and Episcopal (AME) Church are. Mr. James Sims and Henry L. Douglas co-founder of the Church is a big part of the history that dates back 83 years. As dating back to his arrival in 1915, Mr. and Mrs. Sims would hold Sunday worship in their home on O Street, and by 1920, Mr.& Mrs. Henry L. Douglas would join them in their worship. As the congregation became too large for the home of the Sims, the Douglas would offer their home until as the city grew the congregation as well. Mr. Sims & Mr. Douglas then purchased property where the first AME church between Bakersfield and Fresno was erected in 1921 at the corner of P Street and Elm Avenue. Mr. Sims and Mr. Douglas would be remembered in celebration when the church they co-founded August 20, 1921 celebrates its eighty third year of worship.

The Editor completed her story by acknowledging the many different programs that was benefited by Mr. Sims. Both High Schools had grants and scholarships, Grants for libraries to Lincoln, Mulcahy and Garden. The Help Another Child Fund at Lincoln School that provided money for health care that parents could not afford, along with playground equipment at the school.

As the story ended Mrs. Amanda Lee “The Money that Sims left is used up now, his picture hangs in the entry of Brooks Chapel and his memory is fading as Tulareans who knew him die. But Sims legacy will live on in the Tulareans who received part of their education through the Young Peoples Fund.”

After the death of her Father James Sims in 1947, Zora would attempt to keep the Youth Club open but her felled health, and unable to find qualified workers caused her to close the club and sell the prosperity. Mrs. Zora would relocate to Arizona where she would later pass

In 1927 Mary Francis King Chuck Wagon was open to serve the lunch group in the Downtown Tulare area cart that once was used by Mrs. King was destroyed by fire which resulted in King’s Café being open the café quickly expanded from five booths and counter seating to A bar in 1939, the business was handed over to Arthur and Grace King in 1941 after Mary Francis became ill, she would soon pass with Grace primary operating the Café until it’s closing. The Café was one two African American owed business along the 300 Block of South K Street

The California Eagle, October 3, 1914

The Milner barbershop is first class in its accommodations. Plans are already drawn for a large building, the sand and molds being on the ground for the creation of a cement blockhouse, containing barbershop, poolroom, bath, cigar business acumen and a valuable asset to Allensworth.

The Oakland Sunshine, December 27, 1913

Frank Milner arrived in Allensworth from the Bay Area in 1911 and set up his first barbershop in a small frame house. In 1914, he built a concrete block structure on this site. Josephine Hackett recalled its construction: In 1924 Mr. Milner relocated to Tulare where he opened his (Last Chance Barbershop) located at 324 South K Street

Mr. Frank Milner shown above right side with his dog, learned from his experience while living in the Bay Area during the 1908 earthquake, he utilized bricks to build his barbershop in Allensworth as many of his neighbors admired his intelligence and modern structure. Mr. Milner relocated to Tulare in 1924 after Allensworths decline many of his customers joined him a the Last Chance Shop in Tulare located at 324 South K StreetMr. Frank Milner shown above right side with his dog, learned from his experience while living in the Bay Area during the 1908 earthquake, he utilized bricks to build his barbershop in Allensworth as many of his neighbors admired his intelligence and modern structure. Mr. Milner relocated to Tulare in 1924 after Allensworths decline many of his customers joined him a the Last Chance Shop in Tulare located at 324 South K Street