Notes:

Sam and Barbara Martha are twins.

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living

Notes:

Name: Brasfield, Raymond
County: Multnomah
Marriage Date: 20 Jan 1920

Raymond married BENN, Leta on 20 Jan 1920 in Bend, Oregon. Leta (daughter of BENN, Samuel and REDMAN, Martha) 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. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In your Brasfield ~ Brassfield Genealogies the parents of Leta Benn (wife of Raymond Aaron Brasfield) are listed as Edward Benn and Martha Redmond. My information is that her parents were Samuel Benn (the founder of Aberdeen, Washington) and Martha Redman, a daughter of Rueben Redman who was an early settler in the Grays Harbor area. William "Bill" Crammatte (941) 283-8177 / Pine Island, FL / Genealogy WmCrammatte@cs.com Obtained infomation on Benn family via telephone on 11/5/2001.[S&M.FTW] [Sam & Martha Benn.FTW] [Benn1.FTW] Married January 20, 1920. Source: Oregon Marriages, 1906-20

Thomas married CLARK, Nancy Jane on 7 Dec 1890 in Scio, Gilliam, Oregon. Nancy (daughter of CLARK, Jacob and CUMMINS, Joanna) was born about 1865 in Weston, Umatilla, Oregon, USA; died about 1901 in Baker, Union County, Oregon; was buried in Baker City, Baker, Oregon, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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:

[S&M.FTW] [Sam & Martha Benn.FTW] [Benn1.FTW] [BENN.ged] Martha crossed the plains with her family on the Old Oregon Trail in 1852. Source: Samuel Benn obituary in Pacific Northwest Quarterly Vol. 27, Issue 2, 1936, page 175 by John L. Christian and the book - 'The River Pioneers - Early Days on Grays Harbor' by Edwin VanSyckle à 1982 Pacific Search Press. Martha's death certificate lists the cause of her death as acute dilation of heart with a contributory cause of "mitrel stenosis aortic regurgitations". The duration of Martha's condition is noted as 6 months. Martha's obituary in the 14 Aug 'Aberdeen World' read: MRS. SAMUEL BENN PASSES IN SLEEP - Pioneer Woman is Called Suddenly; Crossed Plains in '52; Death Is Shock - Mrs. Samuel Benn, wife of the founder of Aberdeen, a pioneer of the West, who crossed the plains in 1852, when a girl of 8, was found dead in her bed at the Benn home on North G street at 7 o'clock this morning. Mrs. Benn lay as if peacefully sleeping and undoubtedly passed from sleep to death. Heart trouble was the cause of death. She was 72 years old. While Mrs. Benn has been in ill health for several years and was taken to the Aberdeen General hospital several weeks ago for X-ray examination and rest - she was always active, always at work of one sort or another - she had improved so much and had felt so well in recent days that her death came as a surprise and great shock to her family, who had supposed her well on the road to recovery. Her granddaughter, Miss Joan Wappenstein, a nurse of Seattle, who has been in attendance on her for some weeks; had planned to return this morning, considering her services no longer needed.

Buried:
Fernhill Cemetery

Died:
(at home)

Notes:

Married:
St. Williams Church

Notes:

THOMAS A. BRASFIELD

who has been closely identified with the development and improvement of eastern Oregon for more than a half century, devoted his attention to the pursuits of farming and sheep-raising throughout his active business career with great success and is now living practically retired at Baker. He owns six hundred and forty acres of improved land in Gilliam county and a tract of one hundred and sixty acres about six miles from Durkee. His birth occurred in Randolph county, Missouri, on the 3d of April, 1831, his parents being Dennis M. T. and Clarica (Williams) Brasfield, who were born in Tennessee and came of German and Welsh ancestors. Dennis M. T. Brasfield followed the pursuits of farming and stock raising throughout his active business career. Mr. Brasfield of this review has one surviving sister who is eighty-six years of age and she makes her home in California.

Thomas A. Brasfield acquired a district-school education and remained with his parents in Missouri until nineteen years of age. In the spring of 1850 he traveled overland across the plains, spending about one month in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then journeying on to Eldorado county, California, where he arrived on the 14th of October, 1850. He took up his abode at what was then commonly known as Kelsey's dry diggings, and engaged in placer mining during the following winter. In the spring he made his way to Sacramento, California, and there spent seven months. In the spring of 1852 he began farming and gardening, following those pursuits with excellent success. On the 3d of March, 1853, he began his homeward journey, returning to Missouri by water via the Nicaragua route and the Mississippi river. On his trip to California and back he had been accompanied by his brother Alexander. His brother John became ill with typhoid fever the day following his return and died nineteen days later.

His mother also fell victim to that dread disease. In the spring of 1861 he again crossed the plains and, settling in Oregon, located on the present site of Echo, which was known in earlier days as old Fort Henrietta. There he engaged in farming and stock-raising. The winter of 1861-62 was a very severe one and from sixty-five to seventy-five per cent of the cattle perished during its course. Mr. Brasfield also conducted a roadhouse or station for the accommodation of the traveling public at what was called The Crossing, en route from Echo to Walla Walla. He took up his abode there in July, 1867, but a year later removed to Scio, Linn county, where he remained for five years. On the expiration of that period he went to Weston and was there engaged in sheep-raising for eighteen years. During the following fourteen years he made his home in Gilliam county, devoting his time and energies to the sheep business with excellent results. In the spring of 1900 he came to Baker county, where he has since been engaged in farming and sheep raising to some extent, though now living practically retired at Baker. During his forty years' experience as a sheep raiser be has enjoyed gratifying success and has found it most profitable to run about fifteen hundred head of ewes in one band, often having as many as seven thousand head of sheep at one time, while at present he runs about six thousand head. He has learned that a good sheep for mutton of coarse grade is the most profitable and has raised all kinds of coarse-grade sheep, making a specialty of Southdown, Shropshire and Lincoln. These grades of sheep are all excellent for mutton and also good wool producers. Mr. Brasfield has found the fine-wool sheep more delicate and more difficult to raise than mutton sheep. It is his conviction that when a sheep's mouth begins to break the animal should be disposed of, as it can no longer be kept with profit. He has always endeavored to winter his sheep with about three months' feed, preferably good alfalfa, for which he pays from five to six dollars a ton in the stack. He has generally purchased enough hay to supply the need of a long winter and has thus always had plenty of feed even when the cold season was unusually lengthy. He owns six hundred and forty acres of wheat land in Gilliam county and also has a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of good farming land about six miles from Durkee, in Baker county. Mr. Brasfield likewise owns his residence in Baker and has practically retired from active work, spending the evening of life in well earned rest, in the congenial companionship of his wife and younger grandchildren. His sons also reside in the same locality.

On the 16th of March, 1860, Mr. Brasfield was united in marriage to Miss Matilda C. Williams, her father being Aaron Williams of Schuyler county, Missouri, who was engaged in the hotel business at Kirksville, that state. Their wedding was celebrated in Schuyler county, Missouri, and seven children were born unto them. John Silas, who is now fifty-seven years of age, married Miss Sivila Hale, of Rye Valley, Oregon, by whom he has three children. Anna Isabel, fifty-four years of age, has been twice married, her first husband being Albert O'Hara. Following his demise she gave her hand in marriage to A. M. Tegarden, of Spokane, Washington. James McClellan, who is now fifty-one years old, is engaged in the sheep business in Baker county, Oregon. Aaron Brasfield and his wife are both deceased. Their three children have been reared by our subject and his wife, Mary, now forty-six years of age, is the wife of William A. Baker and resides in Baker, Oregon. William, who is living in Eugene at the age of forty-four years, married Miss Gussie Drake. George W., forty-one years of age, wedded Miss Frankie A. Puffer, who passed away leaving two small children who are also being reared by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Brasfield. The three children of Aaron Brasfield, deceased, are as follows: Robert A., born in January, 1893, who attended school in Baker for about five years and is now in Idaho; Raymond, who was born in February, 1894, attended school for about six years and is now a resident of Idaho; and Edith M., who was born on the 23d of October, 1898, and is still attending school. The children of George W. Brasfield are as follows: George Wilbur, who was born on the 31st of March, 1905, and has attended school for one term; and Raymond Langdon, whose birth occurred on the 26th of March, 1907.

Thomas A. Brasfield gives his political allegiance to the socialist party. He served as sheriff of Wasco county, Oregon, for one term, during the years 1863 and 1864, at which time that county embraced all of eastern Oregon. Since 1856, or for a period of fifty-six years, he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and has exemplified its teachings in his daily life. He has now passed the eighty-first milestone on life's journey and may well look back with satisfaction upon an active, useful and honorable career.


Buried:
Mt. Hope Cemetery

Thomas married WILLIAMS, Matilda Caroline on 16 Mar 1860 in Schuyler, Missouri, USA. Matilda (daughter of WILLIAMS, Aaron Crawford and SIMMONS, Nancy Catherine) was born on 1 Dec 1837 in Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee, USA; died on 17 Feb 1922 in Baker; was buried in Baker, Baker County, Oregon (Mt. Hope Cemetery). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jacob married CUMMINS, Joanna on 1 Nov 1860 in Guthrie, Iowa, USA. Joanna was born on 4 Dec 1844 in Canada; died on 20 May 1874 in Weston, Umatilla, Oregon, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]