Biography of Benjamin C. Coblentz - Conway Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Cathy Barnes Date: 21 Jun 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. Goodspeed Publishers, 1891. page 55 Benjamin C. Coblentz, a lawyer of Morrilton, was born in Frederick County, Maryland, in 1834. He was the oldest in a family of six children born to Henry and Ann M. (Routzahn) Coblentz. Parents were natives of Frederick County, Maryland, where the father followed planting. Both paternal and maternal grandparents were natives of Summer County; ancestors were of German descent. Our subject attended the county schools and the academy at Middleton, Maryland, till 1850, when he entered Marshall College, at Mercersburg, Pa Remained there till March, 1853, when Marshall College was consolidated with Franklin College, at Lancaster City, and named Franklin and Marshall College. There he graduated in July, 1853. He then began the study of law under John Cesna, of Bedford, Pa.; was admitted to the bar at Bedford in September, 1855, by Judge A. Kimmell. He then went to Illinois and located at Sterling in 1855, where he continued in practice till March, 1871, when he moved to Little Rock, Ark.; engaged in practice there till April, 1873, when he came to Conway County and located at Lewisburg. Removed to Morrilton in 1884, where he has since been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. He was Mayor of the City of Sterling; also, Mayor of Lewisburg several times. Was married in April. 1857, to Miss Marion Murphy, a native of Pennsylvania. To this union were born seven children, three of whom are living, John H., now Collector of the Port of Tacoma, Washington; Mary Wallace, and B. C., Jr., Little Rock. The family worship at the Episcopalian Church.