Notes:

[S&M.FTW]

[Sam & Martha Benn.FTW]

[Benn1.FTW]

[BENN.ged]

Going to California to find out what happend to two missing brothers
who were working the goldfields, Sam left New York City aboard the
steamer 'Northern Light' on 5 March 1856 bound for Panama. At Colon
he crossed the isthmus by rail to Balboa. There he boarded the paddle
wheeler 'Sonora' for California, arriving on the 26th of March. When
Sam arrived where his brothers had been mining, he discovered they had
drowned in the Feather River. The river was flooding but they had
gone into town for supplies, but their boat capsized while returning
to camp. In April 1859 Sam and a cousin, George Hubbard, sailed from
California to Victoria, Canada. There they bought a sailboat and
sailed Puget Sound for a month looking for a place to settle. When
they stopped in Olympia they heard of the Chehalis valley and
travelled overland to scout the area. Liking what they found they
returned to Olympia for their boat and supplies needed to settle,
arriving back at their homesteads on June 15, 1859. Sam chose the
south bank while George picked the north bank of the Chehalis. At the
site of the present (1935) Wishkah bridge, Sam founded his first home
on Garys Harbor. Aberdeen, Washington was the town Sam founded. To
help bring the railroad to his town, Sam gave land to any man
providing 5 days labor building the rail line. Land was also given to
anyone who paid for the 5 days labor.
According to his death certificate, Sam died of senility. This
doesn't agree with what Sam's surviving family recalled about him and
what was written in his obituaries printed in the Aberdeen newspapers.
He was noted for having a sharp mind. The headline of 'The Aberdeen
Daily World' (17 Sept. 1935 front page) reads "BENN DEAD; SORROW GRIPS
HARBOR, Father Of Aberdeen Expires Peacefully, Mind Clear To Last"
The obituaries refer to a recent illness (of several months) that
wasn't specified.
The funeral services, officiated by Wm. McDowell, Russel Mack and Rev.
Sylvester Robertson, were held at 2 pm in the First Congregational
church, First and H streets in Aberdeen. Governor Clarence D. Martin
and other state officals came from Olympia to attend the funeral. The
services were broadcast on KXRO radio "to permit those who through
illness or the size of the crowd cannot be present inside the church"
- 'Grays Harbor Washingtonian'. A front page article in the same
paper reported 'City offices, stores and other business places of
Aberdeen will be closed Thursday afternoon from 1:30 to 3:30 o'clock
as a final salute to Aberdeen's "grand old man." '
This year is from the information on his death certificate provided by
his daughter, Leta Benn Brasfield. According to the book "The River
Pioneers", Sam immigrated as an infant which could have been 10+ years
earlier. This earlier date agrees with an article in 'The Daily
World' (Aberdeen, WA; Sunday July 4, 1976; page A-9 column 4).
However one of his obituaries says 'although he left there (Emo,
Queens county, Ireland) as a small boy he could recall the place quite
well, even in his last days.'
Sam renounced his allegiance to the Queen United Kingdom of Great
Britain & Ireland. The witness was William Kingsley (Sam's mother's
maiden name). Sam apparently kept his Irish birth a secret from the
other residents of Aberdeen, except his family who knew. He did show
his naturalization papers to Victor Lindberg, the Aberdeen city
comptroller, who kept his secret joke until Sam's death.
Sam still earned a living as a carpenter. Being sheriff didn't pay
well and took too much time, so Sam didn't keep the job for many
years (The Pacific Coast Directory, 1867 lists Samuel Benn as Chehalis County Sheriff in Montesano, Chehalis, Washington Territory).
Sam was also a volunteer fireman with the Brooklyn Fire Department.
Mayors in Aberdeen serve 1 year terms.
Sam received a telegram from President Herbert Hoover, "Felicitations
and God's continued blessing to Aberdeen's beloved pioneer father from
a grateful nation on the occasion of the centennial of his birth."


Buried:
Fernhill Cemetery

Samuel married REDMAN, Martha on 12 Jan 1862 in Chehalis, Lewis, Washington, USA. Martha was born on 2 Nov 1845 in Iowa, USA; died on 13 Aug 1917 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; was buried on 17 Aug 1917 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
St. Williams Church

1. BENN, Phoebe Isabelle was born on 26 Aug 1866 in Melbourne, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died on 31 Jul 1938 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; was buried on 4 Aug 1938 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington (Fernhill Cemetery).
2. BENN, Leta was born on 24 Jan 1884 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died on 5 Dec 1974 in Woodland, Yolo, California, USA; was buried in Los Gatos, Santa Clara County, California.
3. BENN, Mary Frances was born on 11 Jan 1869 in Melbourne, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died on 14 Apr 1943 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, USA; was buried on 19 Apr 1943 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington (Fernhill Cemetery).
4. BENN, Edmund Burke was born on 10 May 1873 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died on 10 Jan 1934 in Olympia, Thurston, Washington, USA.
5. BENN, Alice M was born on 19 Aug 1862 in Melbourne, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died on 3 Mar 1953 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; was buried on 5 Mar 1953 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA.
6. BENN, Minnie Elizabeth was born on 18 Feb 1871 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died on 16 Mar 1965 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; was buried about Mar 1965 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA.
7. BENN, George C. was born about 1864 in Melbourne, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; died about 1888 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington, USA; was buried in 1889 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington (Fernhill Cemetery).