Imperial County CA Archives Biographies.....Shank, Benjamin 1885 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 22, 2006, 10:09 pm

Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918)

BENJAMIN SHANK.—One of Imperial County's progressive and influential ranchers is
Benjamin Shank, the subject of this review. Incidentally Mr. Shank is the owner
of 160 acres of highly cultivated land in Water Company No. 5, near Brawley.
Success has come to Mr. Shank, and it is primarily through his individual
efforts, coupled with broad business foresight, that he has achieved the
enviable position which is his today. Mr. Shank came to Imperial County in the
fall of 1905, and can, as the result, be well and truly classed among the
pioneers of the Valley which was once a vast desert, with the water holes few
and far between. He was born in Saline County, Kansas, January 9, 1885, the son
of Bernard H. and Katherine (Wieland) Shank. Benjamin received his education in
Saline County's public schools and left the institutions of learning at the age
of 17 years. Being practical, Mr. Shank engaged as a ranch hand until he came to
this county, where he engaged for a while with Thomas O'Brien. Later he filed on
eighty acres and some time thereafter purchased the balance of his land, all of
which at the time was rough, barren, desert land. This he leveled and rounded
out in such shape that shortly he was able to raise crops most successfully, and
now his holding is producing a yearly harvest which is highly remunerative. Mr.
Shank has planted 600 trees and all the buildings since erected about the place
are modern in every detail. In the raising of cattle and particularly hogs Mr.
Shank has been most successful. He also sells grain extensively. Mr. Shank is a
stockholder of the Imperial Valley Bank, and when he votes on political
questions can always be depended upon to affix his mark next to the name of the
man most deserving. He was married at Brawley, California, October 25, 1910, to
Miss Emma Schoneman. Their three children are Evelyn, born in El Centro; Ella,
born on the ranch, and Burton, born on the home place. Mr. Shank, undoubtedly,
comes under the head of self-made men. He is industrious at all times, and
devotes his energies in the direction of pursuits which are far-reaching in
their effectiveness. All he has gained today in the way of worldly goods
represents an achievement which resulted from his own individual efforts.

Additional Comments:
From:

THE HISTORY
OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
EDITED BY
F. C. FARR

IN ONE VOLUME
ILLUSTRATED
Published by ELMS AND FRANKS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918


Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco


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