Butte County
Biographies
JACOB WILLARD BENNER
J. W. BENNER.—The reputation of J. W. Benner as one of the substantial citizens of Butte County rests upon a solid foundation of actual merit, upon honesty of purpose and never failing devotion to the best interests of his community. For several generations the family has been a race of upbuilders under pioneer conditions. When thousands were drawn to California in the gold-mining-excitement period, the father of our subject, John Aaron Burns Benner, a native of Harrisburg, Pa., began the long and tiresome journey overland to California, in 1850. Their train consisted of seventy-five wagons drawn by oxen. Upon the save arrival of Mr. Benner he engaged in mining and fortunately was among those who prospered, so well, in fact, that he went back East in 1852, to get his parents to come to the Eldorado of the West. Once more he crossed the plains and, arriving in California, he mined at Bidwell’s Bar and Cold Canyon. Later, with his brother David, and his father, he began ranching near Cold Canyon. The three raised stock and grain for some time, then sold out, and J. A. B. Benner moved to what is now New Lovelock, on account of his health. In the new location he regained his normal health and became a permanent settler. His brother moved to Prattville and engaged in merchandising.
John A. B. Benner was the first settler in what is now New Lovelock; he was the first postmaster; ran a country store and inn; and manufactured shakes and posts. He lost his hotel by fire, and here his good wife passed away. She was Emily Charlotte Pratt before her marriage, and was born in Wisconsin. Her father Dr. Willard Pratt, was a pioneer physician who came to California via Panama. He and a Mr. Willie were the first settlers in Prattville, the place being named in honor of Dr. Pratt. They built a large log house, known as the Willie Hotel. Later Dr. Pratt built a large frame hotel which he conducted until 1876. He returned to Pennsylvania, after leasing the hotel, to attend the Centennial Exposition, and while he was away the hotel burned down. Immediately upon his return to this state, he rebuilt the hotel, on the site where the power company built their dam, and here he died. His wife, Sarah Pratt, died in Chico. After the death of Mrs. Benner, Mr. Benner removed to Vina, where he died.
J. W. Benner was the second child in order of birth of the six children born to his parents, of whom five are living. He was born on December 26, 1869, at Big Meadows, on the Benner Ranch. He accompanied the family to Cold Canyon, then to Lovelock, where he lived until he was twelve and attended public school. When the family moved to Vina he went to the schools there, after which he was employed on the Stanford Ranch, taking care of the thoroughbred horses kept by Mr. Stanford. Thirteen years of his life were spent following the races, and he rode running horses until he became too heavy. He has taken care of some of the best horses, both thoroughbred and standard, in California, and has traveled through many states of the Union when following the races on the grand circuit. On the local circuit he has traveled over a considerable part of the Coast territory.
At the breaking out of the Spanish-American War he was in the employ of Meek Brothers, on their stock farm at Hayward. He enlisted in the Eighth California Volunteer Infantry and was stationed at Camp Barrett, until his battalion was broken up and he was sent to Vancouver, Wash., where he remained until he was mustered out, in 1899, on account of ill health. He went to San Francisco and from there came to Chico. After he had recovered his health he was appointed to the police force in that city and served for two years. Ill health forced him to retire and he spent the next two years in the mountains, after which time he was employed in grading lumber at the mills owned by the Wood-Sheldon Lumber Company for three or four years; from there he went to the Diamond Match Company’s plant at Barber and was in the shipping department, becoming chief clerk and remaining there twelve years. Once more failing health necessitated a change and he was advised to get out of the office. He came back to Chico and became a candidate for constable of Chico Township, in 1914, was elected and assumed the duties of the office on January 4, 1915. He is also serving as deputy under Sheriff Riddle.
Mr. Benner was married in Oroville, to Mrs. Carrie Belle Summers Scarborough, a native of Missouri, and they have one daughter, Genevieve. By her first husband, Mrs. Benner had four children: Edith and Clarence, who are at home; Otis, who is an officer in Company A, Second California Regiment; and Edgar, who is in the Aviation Corps. Mr. Benner is a member, Past Grand, and Past District Deputy of the Odd Fellows, and is Grand Conductor of the Grand Lodge of California; he belongs to the Canton, and to the Encampment, of which he is Past Chief Patriarch, and to the Rebekahs. He is Worthy Counsel of the Modern Woodmen of America, and belongs to the Native Sons and to the Foresters of America. He is officer of the day in Chico Camp, Spanish-American War Veterans. He attends the Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Republican.
Transcribed
by Sharon Walford Yost.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1158-1159, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Sharon
Walford Yost.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies