Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Herring, Benjamin William 1834 - after 1908
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com July 21, 2005, 8:57 pm

Author: B. F. Bowen

BENJAMIN WILLIAM HERRING.

    Benjamin William Herring, one of the early pioneers of Oketo township,
Marshall county, and now deceased, was born in England on October 30, 1834, near
the town of Lynn. He received his education in the schools of his native land
and at the age of eighteen years he decided to come to the United States. On his
arrival in this country he established himself at his trade as a blacksmith in
New York. He remained in New York for a time and later came to Illinois, where
he again engaged in the work of a blacksmith at old Dement, now Creston.

    While living at Creston, Benjamin William Herring was united in marriage to
Mary Ann Bigham, in 1858. She was born in Canada on May 2, 1839, the daughter of
Thomas and Jane (Davis) Bigham, natives of Canada and Ireland, respectively. In
1857, when the daughter, Mary Ann, was eighteen years of age, the family came to
Illinois. She had received her education in her native land and the next year
after coming to Illinois she was married to Mr. Herring. Her parents later came
to Kansas, and established their home in Marshall county.

    In 1866 Mr. and Mrs. Herring decided to leave their home in Illinois and
locate on the farm in Oketo township, Marshall county, that Mr. Herring had
homesteaded one year before. They made the journey in a prairie schooner and
experienced many of the hardships of that mode of travel. They established
their, home on their new farm of one hundred and sixty acres of land, and at
once entered into the task of development and improvement. The first house was
built from the roof of a barn that Mr. Herring had purchased. The building
consisted of but two rooms, and in this the family lived for some years, or
until the present substantial house was built. They met with success in their
new home and in time added to the farm until they were the owners of two hundred
and sixty acres of splendid land, all of which was placed under high cultivation
and was well improved with two sets of buildings.

    Mr. Herring was always a hard-working man and a splendid citizen. In 1885 he
was bothered with the ague, and in order to regain his health he went to
Vancouver Island and worked at his trade for three years. There he was engaged
in sharpening picks and shoeing mules. On his return to his home he conducted a
shop on his farm for a number of years. He always took the deepest interest in
local affairs and was identified with the Republican party. He served for many
years as a school director and as school treasurer.

    Mr. and Mrs. Herring were among the well-respected people of their home
community, and were held in high esteem by all who knew them. On January 13,
1908, they celebrated their golden wedding, which was attended by a large number
of their friends and neighbors. That same year, Mr. Herring lost the sight of
one of his eyes, which interfered much with his comfort. The next year he and
his wife visited the Seattle Fair, then Victoria and the Island of Vancouver,
where Mr. Herring had worked for three years, the trip proving a most enjoyable
one.

    There were six children in the Herring family: Hattie Lillian, Benjamin
Henry, Samuel Thomas, Robert Elroy, Vinnie Victoria and Hiram L. Hattie Lillian
Suggett is a resident of Marietta, Kansas, and is the mother of three children,
Sidney R., Bernice M. and Cyril J. Sidney R. Suggett is married and has two
children, Lloyd and Norman Randall. Bernice M. Suggett is the wife of M. H.
Schmidt and is living on the old home place. Benjamin Henry Herring was born in
Illinois and is now deceased. Samuel Thomas is a successful farmer of Oketo
township. He is married to Lottie Hawes and they are the parents of one child,
Vida May. Robert Elroy lives in Oregon and is married to Louisa Schmidt and they
have five children, Benjamin Michael. Mary, Magdelena, Howard and Elroy; Vinnie
Victoria is the wife of James Curtis, of Firth, Nebraska, and they are the
parents of two children, William James and Earl J.: Hiram L. is a resident of
Oketo township, and is married to Maggie Schmidt, and to them has been born one
child, Hiram Michael.

    To Mr. and Mrs. Herring is due much of the early progress in the township,
as well as the county. They entered into the development of their home district
with a determination that was sure of success. In addition to the improvement of
their own home farm, they were interested in the development of the territory in
which they had established themselves. They were indulgent parents, and the
welfare of their children was always one of their chief considerations. They
were always interested in the schools and the moral well-being of the district.
To such men as Mr. Herring the present generation owe much for the excellent
system of schools that are now established in the township and the county. He
was also a strong advocate of the building of good roads and believed that in
the schools and the highways of the county depended a good deal of the future
greatness of this section of the state. He was a most entertaining man, and
being a great traveler, he was possessed of much interesting information. He was
a great reader and kept well posted on the current events of the day.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions
by
Emma E. Forter

Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/herring48bs.txt

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