Contra Costa-El Dorado County CA Archives Biographies.....Shreve, Benjamin 1828 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 29, 2005, 10:57 am

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

BENJAMIN SHREVE.—This well-known pioneer of Contra Costa county was born in
Crawford county, Pennsylvania, August 2, 1828, and there received his education,
in part, at the common schools, and afterwards at the Waterford academy. In
1850, he went to the southern portion of Kentucky, where he was employed in
teaching school. In 1852, he started from Smithland, in company with a party of
Kentuckians, to cross the plains to California, and after an uneventful trip of
six months, arrived at Placerville, in September of the same year, and later in
the Fall, came to Contra Costa county, when he stayed a short time in Ygnacio
valley. He then proceeded to Oregon, where he remained until May, 1853, when he
returned to the mines on the Middle Fork of the American river. After a short
stay there he concluded to return East, and started for San Francisco with that
intention, but passing through Contra Costa county he was employed to teach
school, near Lafayette, and taught there during the Winters of 1853 and '54, and
in 1855, began the merchandise trade near his present place of business, in
connection with which he ran a hotel. In 1857, Mr. Shreve petitioned Congress to
establish a post office at his place, and then gave it the name of Centerville,
but owing to there being a post-office of the same name in the State, had to
change it, when he named it after the great French General, Lafayette. Mr.
Shreve then moved his store some half-mile farther up the valley, to where now
stands the town of Lafayette, and in 1857, received his appointment as
postmaster and mail agent, which office he still holds, it being now his
twenty-fourth year of the trust, being probably one of the oldest postmasters in
the State. In connection with his post-office and store, he farms a ranch of two
hundred and fifty acres adjoining the town. Was united in marriage in Lafayette,
August 17, 1854, to Miss Adeline Gorham, a native of Illinois. By this union
they have two children: Milton and Fred.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.



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