Biographical Sketch of Anthony Benning, Lafayette County, Missouri >From "History of Lafayette County, Mo., carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources" St. Louis, Mo. Historical Company, 1881. ********************************************************************** Anthony Benning, P. O. Mayview. One of the oldest and most prominent citizens of Lafayette county. Was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, September 9, 1809, where he was raised on his father's farm, and educa- ted at Georgetown, Ky. At the age of twenty he taught school for several years, then went to Washington City and spent four years as a clerk in the postoffice department, under William T. Barry, postmaster general during Jackson's second administration. His eyesight failed him in consequence of the incessant labors of that position, and he was compelled at last to resign, returning to Kentucky and farming for a time. He then moved to Missouri and settled in this county, bringing with him about $6,000 of his own earnings, and purchased 160 acres one mile south of where Mayview now stands. Upon this foundation he built up, before he died, one of the finest estates in the county. During the war he lost heavily in slaves and personal property. His costly dwelling was burned and himself thrown into prison. He was harried by the militia and finally banished. After the war he returned to this county, and bought a home in Lexington, where he lived with his family till his death, March 18, 1872, though he continued to superintend to the last his large farming interests in the southern part of the county. He was strictly honorable, prompt and energetic in all business matters. He had no political aspirations, and though he could have obtained almost any office in the county or state, he constantly declined all political preferment. He was the first postmaster of Mayview, then called Tabo, which he held for years as an accommodation to his neigh- bors. On the 9th of October, 1850, he married Miss Bettie Spurr, daughter of Dr. Buford Spurr, of Kentucky. Her mother's maiden name was Judith Gray. Mrs. Benning is the great granddaughter of the vener- able Augustine Easton, who, for over a half a century, was a Christian minister of Bourbon county, Ky. The great grandfather of Major Benning was a pioneer of the state of Vermont, where the family was well known and stood high. Mrs. Benning still survives her husband, and has six children living out of a family of eight: James A., Taylor B., John G., Ottie V. (now wife of Thomas M. Chinn), Robert E. and Thomas E. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Miller Penny (Eisenbarger) Harrell ====================================================================