William Ives (1794-1875) was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on 15 February 1794, the eldest son of Captain William Ives and Mary (Bradshaw) Ives. Four other children followed: John Mansfield Ives (born 8 July 1799); Stephen Bradshaw Ives (born 12 April 1801); Mary Ives (born 14 May 1803); and Benjamin Hale Ives (born 7 November 1806).

On 12 May 1824, William Ives married Lucy, daughter of Perez and Silence (Gardner) Gardner of Hingham. They had seven children: Mary Bradshaw (1825), Lucy Gardner (1826), William Hale (1829), Susan Shillaber (1831), Franklin Gardner (1834), Benjamin Franklin (1837), and Helen May (1843).

From his youth, William Ives was interested in journalism; he apprenticed with Thomas C. Cushing at the Salem Gazette. On 2 January 1823, he joined his brother Stephen Bradshaw Ives (1801-1884) under the firm name of W. & S. B. Ives. They published a newspaper called the Observer. The name was later changed to the Salem Observer. In 1839, Stephen B. Ives withdrew from the partnership and George Pease became a partner. The firm changed its name to Ives & Pease. Ives & Pease printed and published the Salem Observer from 1839 to 1853 at 230 Essex Street, Salem, Mass. This partnership was succeeded by William Ives & Co. However, Pease remained a partner.

From 1822 to 1853, W. & S. B. Ives (and the succeeding companies) were booksellers, printers, binders, and publishers. From 1822 to 1826, William and Stephen B. Ives published the Salem Observer at 2 Court Street, Salem; on Washington Street at the Chase Building from 1826 to 1832; and at 230-232 Essex Street from 1832 to 1853. The partners bought out the bookselling stock of Samuel West in 1828, and established a bookstore.

The firm published not only Felt's Annals of Salem (1827, 2nd ed., 1845-1849)--the first general history of Salem--but a variety of other popular works, especially religious, educational, and juvenile works, plus a weekly periodical for children called The Hive (1828-1830).

Besides selling toys and other juvenile items, the firm became well known for publishing card and board games. W. & S. B. Ives has been credited with making the "first board game in America," The Mansion of Happiness, in 1830. In the 1880s, George S. Parker, founder of the company that later became Parker Brothers, acquired the rights to the board and card games that the Ives firm had manufactured.

William Ives died on 12 December 1875 at his home at 390 Essex Street, Salem. His wife, Lucy, died in Riverside, Illinois, on 19 October 1882 at the home of their daughter.