Genesee-Bay County MI Archives Biographies.....Benson, John R. 1837 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 26, 2006, 7:55 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

JOHN R. BENSON. Having spent much of his life in educational work, for which he
seems eminently fitted by reason of his many superior qualifications, our
subject has retired from the work of a professional, pedagogue and at the
present time devotes himself to farming, having a fine place on sections 1 and
12, which comprises two hundred and fifteen acres. Mr. Benson is of English
birth and English and Irish ancestry, having been born in the manufacturing city
of Manchester, June 5, 1837. He is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Dooley) Benson,
the former an Englishman both by birth and rearing; the latter a native of
Ireland. She was reared in her native country but married in Manchester. The
parents came to America in 1840, settling first in New York and the following
year, in the month of May, directing their course toward Michigan. They came
directly to Genesee County and bought a tract of land, locating in Mt. Morris
Township. He resides at present in Flint and owns in the neighborhood of six
hundred acres of land. He still carries on his business and is hale and strong.
Our subject's mother died in 1873.

  The original of our sketch is one of six children born to his parents, there
having been three sons and three daughters. Of these, three only are now living,
they being two daughters and one son. Mr. Benson is the eldest child of the
family, and was two years old when they removed to Michigan. He remained with
his father until of age, and finished his education at the State Normal School
at Ypsilanti. After leaving that institution he was engaged in teaching school
for three years.

  In the spring of 1862 John R. Benson went to Philadelphia for the purpose of
attending Bryant & Stratton's Business College, but his youthful loyalty and
ardor being fired by the fresh news from the battlefields, he enlisted March 7,
1862, joining Company F, One Hundred and Fifteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania
Infantry, but in 1864 the regiment was consolidated with the One Hundred and
Tenth Regiment and bore that name throughout the remainder of the war. Mr.
Benson was a participant in most of the battles in which his regiment was
engaged. He enlisted as a private and after a most honorable service received
his discharge at Harrisburg, Pa., July 3, 1865. He served for two years and had
re-enlisted at the end of this time.

  On returning home from the war our subject was married January 7, 1866, at Bay
City, to Mary S. Bricet, who was born in South Bend, Ind., December 2, 1843. She
was the eldest daughter of Joseph and Mary L. Bricet. Soon after their marriage
the young people located on section 34, Vienna Township, Genesee County, on a
farm which Mr. Benson had previously owned. The four following winters he was
engaged in teaching school, giving his attention to his farm during the summer
season. He remained there until the spring of 1874 and then sold his place and
bought where he now resides. It comprises two hundred and fifteen acres, which
at the time of his settlement here was perfectly new land. He has improved it
and made of it a valuable place, devoting himself to general farming.

  Our subject and his wife are the parents of eight children—Mary E., Edward H.,
William A., Florence H., Emily L., John C., Robert L. and George A. The eldest
daughter is the wife of George C. Goodyear of Saginaw; Florence is a graduate of
the Saginaw High School and is now engaged as a teacher. Politically our subject
has been a Republican, but since the fall of 1889 has been identified with the
Patrons and Alliance cause, having served as President of the Patrons'
Association of Mt. Morris since its organization. He has been Supervisor of Mt.
Morris Township, has held the office of Councilman of the village of Mt. Morris,
and served as Assessor three or four terms.

  In whatever appeals to him most strongly Mr. Benson is with the people and
their welfare is ever dear to his heart. In 1890 he was elected State Senator
with a majority of over fourteen hundred votes over G. W. Stuart, the Republican
nominee. He was nominated by the Patrons in Genesee County and the Industrials
in Livingston County, and endorsed by the Democrats in both counties. He was a
delegate to all the Patron County conventions and helped to nominate county and
representative tickets. He has quite a local reputation as a speaker and an
extensive reputation as an essayist and poetical and newspaper writer. The
expectations of his constituents have been fully realized by his career in the
Senate and it seems to be their wish that he be re-elected to that responsible
position.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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