William M. Burk (March 1834 - August 30, 1905) was an American lithographer and printer. Born in Philadelphia, Burk worked for the Inquirer Printing Office in Philadelphia where John R. McFetridge (1844 - 1903) was a colleague. Burk worked as the foreman and printer and McFetridge was a stamp agent. The pair purchased the Inquirer Printing Office from William W. Harding in 1877 and operated as Burk and McFetridge until about 1900. They remained in the same building as the Inquirer (304 Chestnut Street) and operated out of the second and fourth floors until they moved to 306-308 Chestnut Street in 1884. The firm incorporated as the Burk and McFetridge Company in 1893. It advertised as employing 'one hundred and ten hands' in 1898 and had total assets amounting to somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000. McFetridge withdrew from the firm in around 1900 and established his own publishing and printing firm as John R. McFetridge and Sons. He married his wife Charlotte in 1856 with whom he had 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters. Both his sons died before him. Burk died in 1905
