Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Thurber, Benjamin F. 1838 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 18, 2006, 11:11 pm

Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908)

BENJAMIN F. THURBER, of Worthington, is one of the pioneer settlers of Nobles

county, having had a continuous residence here of thirty-six years. He has taken

an active part in county and local affairs during this long period and is one of

the valued residents.



  Mr. Thurber was born in Corning, Steuben county, N. Y., March 20, 1838, a son

of Hazekiah and Phoebe (Calkins) Thurber. The father was born in the Empire

state, the mother in Vermont, and the paternal grandfather, Amos Thurber, was

also a native of New York state. Our subject was one of a family of nine

children—five sons and four daughters—seven of whom reached maturity. He

attended the public schools of his native town and resided there until 17 years

of age. He then went to Auburn, N. Y., in the high school of which town he

completed his education, his vacations being spent working as an attendant in

the Auburn asylum for insane convicts.



  On the 19th of September, 1861, at Auburn, N. Y., Mr. Thurber enlisted as a

private in company A, of the 75th New York volunteer infantry, under Col. John

A. Dodge, and served in the army three years, two months and ten days, being

mustered out November 26, 1864. He served as first sergeant, second lieutenant,

first lieutenant and captain, and in August, 1864, received the commission of

major, which he held until his discharge from the army. Major Thurber

participated in many severe engagements and campaigns. During the early part of

the war his regiment saw service in Florida and Louisiana; later it became a

part of the army in Virginia. The regiment was first sent to Santa Rosa island,

off the south coast of Florida, from whence it was transferred to Pensacola upon

the evacuation of the navy yard there by the enemy. In September, 1862, one year

after his enlistment, Mr. Thurber was sent with his regiment to New Orleans,

La., and in that state he took part in several severe engagements. Among the

battles there was that of Camp Bisland. He had charge of the skirmish line that

captured the gunboat Cotton at Bayou Teche.



  After spending the winter of 1862-63 in New Orleans the regiment of which Mr.

Thurbur was a member started out on the campaign through the state under command

of General Banks. It went to Alexandria and then to Port Hudson, where the

forces arrived May 26, 1863. The day following the arrival Mr. Thurber took part

in the charge on Port Hudson. Thereafter for forty-four days the 75th New York

regiment engaged the enemy in siege, fighting almost continually, and losing

about two-thirds of the command in killed, wounded and captured. On June 14,

during a charge on a fort, Mr. Thurber was wounded in the right knee by a rifle

shot from the enemy's picket line. He was disabled and off duty until November,

when he rejoined his regiment at New Iberia, La. There he took command of his

regiment, having been promoted to the rank of captain. On the last day of the

year 1863, he reenlisted his regiment as veterans.



  Early in the spring of 1864 Mr. Thurber took a veteran's furlough and returned

to his home. Later in the spring he reported at Washington and was ordered with

his regiment to New Orleans, where he remained until June. Then the regiment was

ordered to join General Grant at Petersburg, Va. In the latter part of July the

regiment moved to Tanleytown, near Washington, where it became a part of the

forces under General Sheridan. In the battle of Winchester the lieutenant

colonel of the-regiment was killed, and thereafter Major Thurber was the

regimental commander. He led his regiment in the fight at Fisher's Hill, and

then took part in the Shenandoah campaign of General Sheridan. He participated

in the fight at Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864, and the next month took the regiment

home to Auburn, N. Y., and mustered it out.



  Major Thurber was much broken down in health after the war, owing to his

arduous service, and for five years, did not engage in active business. He then

engaged in farming near Auburn, and was so engaged until the spring of 1872. He

came with the early settlers to Worthington in April, 1872, and took as a

homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 14, Worthington township, just

north of the village, now the Geo. W. Patterson farm. There he resided until

1885, farming and engaging in carpenter work and contracting. He then moved to

the village, which has since been his home. Major Thurber has taken an active

part in local affairs. For many years he served as street commissioner of

Worthington, has been a member of the school board and of the board of health.

He is a member of Fraternity Lodge No. 101, A. F. & A. M., and served as master

several terms. He has taken the Royal Arch degrees and served as high priest,

and he is a member of the veteran association of the Masonic fraternity of

Minnesota. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.



  On the 14th of November, 1873, was consummated the marriage of Mr. Thurber and

Miss Jane M. Bear, of Bigelow, who was born in Ohio and in her early childhood

came to Nobles county with her parents, Rev. William M. and Mary Bear. She died

at her home in Worthington May 20, 1888. Major Thurber is the father of five

living children, as follows: William L., a graduate of the Worthington high

school and of Hamline University, now a patent examiner at Washington, D. C;

Henry Albert, in the restaurant business in Worthington; Bessie A., wife of

Walter Ager, professor of the Wilmont school; Barlow J., who farms his father's

farm in Bloom township; Benjamin Lyle, clerk at the Worthington hotel.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:



AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY

MINNESOTA

BY

ARTHUR P. ROSE



NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA 

PUBLISHERS

1908



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