The Benson Family

James M. Benson in Biographical Record of Darke County, Ohio

The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.

JAMES M. BENSON.

It is certainly incumbent that in this compilation due recognition be accorded Mr. Benson, for the family name is one that has been prominently identified with the annals of the county for more than half a century — in fact for nearly sixty-five years — while throughout all these years this identification has been maintained through that line of industry which figures as the basis of all others, that of agriculture.

Mr. Benson's fine farm is located on sec- tion 30, Harrison township, Darke county,

and his postoffice address is Whitewater, In- diana. He is a native of the township, hav- ing been born on a place about two miles distant from his present home, on the 16th of December, 1841. His father, James Benson, was born in the state of Maryland, where he was united in marriage to Miss Susan Murray, about the year 1832. They continued to reside there until about 1836, when they set out on the long and tedious journey to the Ohio frontier, finally arriving at their destination in Darke county and taking up their abode in Harrison township, their occupation of the place now owned by their son, the subject of this review, hav- ing begun about six months after their ar- rival. James M. has often heard the tale of the eventful journey made by his par- ents in the pioneer days, for the trip was made with horses and wagon and by this medium all their little stock of household goods was. transported. They .purchased one hundred acres of timbered land for six hundred dollars, and in this wilderness be- gan to clear up a farm, the little home be- ing isolated and of the most primitive pio- neer order, with few conveniences and no luxuries. Stout hearts and willing hands will accomplish much, as all our pioneer history has shown, and Mr. and Mrs. Ben- son did their full share in reclaiming the wilds and laying the foundations for the magnificent prosperity which the present generations enjoy. When the young couple settled on their woodland farm their nearest market was Cincinnati, and some seasons Mr. Benson transported as many as one hundred head of hogs to this distant point. Both he and his devoted wife are birthright members of the Society of Friends, and in their lives they exemplify the kindly virtues and unwavering integrity so characteristic of

this religious sect. As the days passed the farm began to show the results of the ar- duous labor and care bestowed, and in due time the fields yielded their harvests in sea- son. Around the family hearthstone the children came to lend joy and brightness, our subject being one of the eleven born to his parents, and of this number eight were reared to maturity and six are living at the present time, namely : Conrad Robert, a resident of California; Harriet, wife of John E. Harrison, of Xenia, Ohio; John was ac- cidentally shot while on a hunting expedi- tion in the northwest, his death resulting from the injury inflicted ; Elijah is a farmer in Nebraska; the next in order of birth was James M., subject of this sketch; Ephraim is a resident of Preble count}-, this state ; and Catherine is the widow of a Mr. Teaford and resides in Hollansburg, this count)-.

The father of this large family of chil- dren died about 1871, leaving to his heirs his farm of one hundred and sixty acres and some town property, with some incum- branches. His wife died at the age of seven- ty-six years. James M. Benson, the subject of this sketch, remained upon the home place, and October 1, 1866, be was united in mar- riage to Delilah Barton, of Wayne count)-, Indiana, a daughter of Andrew and Celia (Boswell) Barton, and of the children of this union we make record briefly, as fol- lows : James Andrew, who is married and has three children, resides on the home place and is associated with his father in the cultiva- tion of the same; Mabel is the wife of Col- onel Williams and has one son.

Mr. Benson has a fine farm of one hun- dred and sixty-three acres, devoted to gen- eral farming and stock raising. On the place are two excellent houses and two barns with other modern improvements of an at-

tractive order. On the place have been raised as much as eight hundred bushels of wheat and two thousand bushels of corn in a year. The corn is utilized for the feeding of the cattle on the place, special attention be- ing given to stock raising .Mr. Benson places on the market an average of fifty hogs annually, and in the year 1899 dis- posed of one hundred head. He keeps a fine herd of hogs and an average of twelve head of cattle, in which latter line he is gradually displacing his Jersey stock with the shorthorn and polled Durham. Much of 'the farm consists of bottom lands that were once heavily timbered, and the soil is not only exceptionally fertile, but is very durable, as is shown in the fact that one field produced good crops of corn for twenty- seven consecutive years, without any alterna- tion or special fertilizing. The modern resi- dence on the homestead is a model country home, and by its side still stands the old homestead, so endeared by long associa- tions.

In his political proclivities Mr. Benson is a Republican, and religiously he and his estimable wife are identified with the United Brethren church.

Source: Biographical Record of Darke County, Ohio. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.