William Jere Kingsbury
15 Aug 1858 - 15 Mar 1934
diedTempe, Arizona, USA
bornSan Antonio, Texas, USA
SchooltblData
BiographyAttorney, banker, cattle rancher, and developer.Came to Tempe in 1887.and practised law in 1922.
Graduated from Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, with a law degree in 1879.
He began a law practice in San Antonio in 1880, then moved to Los Angeles in 1882, where he practiced until 1884, when he went to Europe to visit his father.
In 1885 he returned to San Antonio to look after his father's extensive property interests and continued law practice until 1887, when he moved to Arizona and settled at Tempe.
He owned the Hotel Casa Loma and Kingsbury Hall (on East 5th Street). He became an associate of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1896, and owned the bank by 1900. Was president in 1921, -23. He ran the bank until 1923, when it was closed due to a scandal involving embezzlement of bank funds. In 1923, he was sentenced to 4-5 years in prison for his role in the Farmers and Merchants Bank scandal. Owned the Casa Loma Hotel in 1909. Shareholder in the Tempe Irrigating Canal Company in 1923. Owned
SW4 and S2 NW4 section 24 (237 acres), W2 NW4 section 21 (80 acres), and 25 acres in NE4 section 22, in 1924. In 1931 had wife Viola
Lived at 118 [112] E. 5th Street. In 1921, -23, '3, '32.
In 1909 he built a house at 202 E. 5th Street for his daughter and son-in-law. In 1928 lived at 208 E 5th.
Tempe CD 1921,1922, -23, '28,-'31, '32
Person TypeIndividual
