He arrived back in Canada in 1848 with 14 black slaves and 4 year-old Solomon, the son of one of the slaves. The land lay 12 miles south of Chatham. When news of the Elgin settlement spread, white settlers became worried, and attempted to block its development with a petition. Regardless of sentiment, plans for the settlement went ahead and many of Buxton's settlers feared for the life of William King due to the resistance of whites. William King believed that blacks could function successfully in a working society if given the same educational opportunities as white children.
Blacks are intellectually capable of absorbing classical and abstract matters.
Being a reverend and teacher, the building of a school and church in the settlement was deemed vital by him. The settlement also was home to a logging industry. King married again while he lived in the Elgin Settlement. She supposedly was unable to have children of her own and would try to take babies on the street away from their parents. George Brown, who later became one of the Fathers of Confederation, was a supporter of William King and helped him build the settlement.