Charles Henry Benton
History of Montana, 1898
US Genweb Montana Archives

Judge Charles Henry Benton is a resident of Great Falls and a 
native of New York, born in Saratoga County, May 30,1844.

Judge Benton is of Normal and old English descent and traces his 
ancestry back to the twelfth century.  His remote ancestors were 
Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, afterward called Knights of 
Malta and went on a crusade to Jerusalem to rescue that city 
from the Saracens.  The progenitor of the family in America, 
Andrew Benton came from England to this country in 1637 and 
joined the "Hartford Colony," Hartford Connecticut.  His son, 
Samuel Benton, was one of the founders of the town of Tolland, 
his name appearing in the deed of the committee to the first 
proprietors of the town.  His son, Samuel Benton was Judge 
Benton's great grandfather.  He served in the Second Company; 
Fifth Connecticut Regiment was in the battle of Bunker Hill 
and later on the expedition to Quebec.  After his discharge he 
was in the employ of the Government, carrying munitions of war 
from Boston to western New York.  His son, George Benton, was 
born in Hartford Connecticut and removed from there to 
Saratoga, New York, where his son, Henry, the Judge's 
father was born in 1814.  Henry Benton married Mary Ann 
Marks, a native of Saratoga County, and a descendant on 
the maternal side of the Reynolds family, one of the early 
families of New York.  They had two sons, Andrew and 
Charles Henry, the former being still a resident of 
Saratoga County.  Their mother passed away in 1883 at 
an advanced age and their venerable father is yet living, 
having reached his eightieth milestone.

Judge Benton was reared on his father's farm and was 
educated in the public schools and the academy at Stillwater, 
New York.  When he started out in life for himself it was 
as a clerk in a dry goods store at LaFayette, New Jersey 
where he remained three years.  He then went to Northville, 
New York and read law for a time under the instruction of 
John Patterson but before completing his law course he 
removed to Minnesota.  There he continued his studies 
under Gordon E. Cole, of that state and at Hastings, 
Minnesota was admitted to the bar in 1872 before Judge 
Crosby.  He entered upon his career at Austin in 
partnership with Judge D.B. Johnson and from there 
removed to Dodge County, same state.

In 1887 Judge Benton came to Great Falls, being one of the 
first lawyers to settle in the town.  He has invested in 
real estate to some respect and has a ranch within two 
miles of the city.  He was married in 1876 to Miss 
Augusta E. Slocum who was born in Pennsylvania and 
reared in Minnesota and who is the daughter of Judge 
George W. Slocum.  The Judge and Mrs. Benton have 
two children-Mary Louise and Sara M.

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