San Francisco
County
Biographies
BENJAMIN
F. LYFORD, M. D.
In the realm of art and science a large number
of our modest citizens, who are possessed of a high intellectuality and
philanthropic nature, have given the best years of their life to unremitting
toil in the laboratory or in the field of science for the benefit of their
fellow-men rather than for personal aggrandisement. (sic) The subject of our sketch is of English ancestry, and on his mother’s side a direct descendant of
the Rev. John Rogers, the martyr. He was born in 1819, close to the line
between Vermont and Canada.
He has been a student, inventor and
discoverer; and, like thousands of others, his disinterested labor will be
fully appreciated in the years to come. In his youthful days his parents were
given much anxiety on account of a constitutional disability and did not expect
him to attain middle age. Although a young man he comprehended his situation,
and almost intuitively commenced a course of treatment for himself. He laid
aside his schoolbooks and projected a journey around the world, and original
idea that met the approval of his family physician. He traveled extensively but
leisurely, studying nature and gathering information from the faculty, gained a
ripe experience in chemistry, medical and surgical pathology, and subsequently
graduated with highest honor M. D. He commenced practice in New York, and soon
took a front rank as physician and surgeon. Although he was devoted to his
profession, his philosophic mind led him to investigate in all branches of
science, among which were chemicals used in the art of photography, and in
which he achieved much distinction.
Outside of his devotion to science
he is a natural inventor, which the records of the Patent Office at Washington
will show. He has invented a compound self-registering instrument (this is
unpatented), by which humidity and all changes of temperature, together with
velocity of wind, are accurately registered upon prepared chemical slates;
these slates requiring removal only once in two months. The doctor, at one
time, had fifty of these self-registering, silent sentinels on his estate in
and around Tiburon. The late Jas. Lick, knowing his scientific attainments,
sought his counsel and advice in making his princely bequest for the Academy of
Sciences. To investigate, invent or discover some new principle, device or
compound that was original and was of partial benefit to the world has been his
delight and shibboleth all through life. His knowledge of mechanism and large
experience in the field of investigation have enabled him to render aid of
great value to inventors, which has been given with an open hand and disinterested
generosity.
He has invented, or rather,
discovered, the chemicals to use in a process for embalming bodies, that has
been put in practical operation a number of years, and been pronounced by
scientists a positive protection against decomposition---lifelike in expression. To this effect Dr. Lyford has
affidavits sworn to, which space prevents giving. One of which, in part, is as
follows:
“I left San Francisco with the
remains destined for Ferres Morlaas,
France, at which place we arrived April 4, 1868---the remains in the same
perfect and lifelike condition; even the position of the body had not in the
least changed.
“We had the inexpressible pleasure
to again look upon the kind features of our departed friend, perfect as in
life, natural in color and exactly in the condition in which Dr. Lyford had
placed him nine months since.”
In fact, the preparation was thought
to be so remarkable in France that space was given for it in a Catholic church,
where it remained for four months upon exhibition, meeting with general
surprise from the press, scientific bodies and hundreds of others who were
attracted by curiosity. The friends of the deceased desired to return thanks to
Dr. Lyford for the efforts he had made to show them, as he did in perfection, the
features of their beloved friend; and they were greatly comforted with the hope
that by means of the process adopted by the doctor they could, any time, remove
the body from the vault and again behold the features of the deceased, intact.
The same affidavit pays tribute on
behalf of the French relatives of the deceased to the chemical development of
the young State of California, as thus far superior to that of the Old World.
In 1861 he felt it to be his duty as
a surgeon to proffer his services to the United States Government. He was at
his post during the war, and his valor, skill and devotion to the sick and
maimed comrades gained him a national reputation. We give an episode of his
long career: During the march on to Mobile a torpedo exploded and landed a
soldier in the top of a large tree. Dr. Lyford found both arms and both legs
broken, with one or two compound fractures. During the Grand Army reunion in
San Francisco a veteran soldier pressed through the crowd and hailed the Doctor
as the man who had taken him out of a tree, and by his
matchless skill given him his life and each limb of his body.
After the close of the war, in the
field of inquiry an investigation, he visited the Pacific Coast and our genial
climate, and hallowed associations have held him for all these years since. He
was induced to commence practice in his profession in San Francisco, continuing
for a period of ten years, until the demand for his services night and day was
so large he felt it unsafe to longer withstand the continual physical and
mental strain upon nature; consequently he retired from practice in 1876.
Since which, however, his untiring
nature could not rest without the development of his natural intuition as the
investigator of nature’s laws and their application to practical beneficence.
In this respect he has given much
study upon the chemical stratum of soil, topography and climatic variations of
our coast; and, without hesitancy, pronounces California the Garden of Earth;
and Tiburon Point tract, Marin county, one of the most picturesque and favored
spots along the Bay of San Francisco. Dr. Lyford bought, and with his untiring
nature developed, a railroad and ferry terminal from and to San Francisco.
This favored place of earth he has contured (sic) and subdivided into suburban villas, to be
know (sic) as Lyford’s Hygeia or Goddess of Health. He desires to make it a
center of education, science, art and perfect health. The climate and
topography of Tiburon is one of startling diversity, to meet all conditions therefor; and has been pronounced by scientists to be one
of the most favored in climatic influences for health and comfort in the world.
He is a member of the celebrated
Columbia Commandery, Knights Templar, of Washington,
D. C., and has distinguished honors, as appears from the following article
printed in the “Masonic Record” in 1884:
“This Commandery
will be especially recollected as that placed in the most prominent position,
and as special guard of honor at the laying of the Garfield monument corner
stone, at Golden Gate Park August 24, 1883, to the memory of our dead
President, which honor to Garfield called out a military and civic pageant such
as was never before seen in San Francisco. This commandery
also had the honor of bearing the only national colors in the Templar line. One
of the regulations of the order is that no special nationality shall have
prominent recoguition, (sic) all being under banners
of the order, no matter of what nation. These national colors were the same
that shrouded the bier at the funeral cortege over the mortal remains of our
dead President Garfield, on the way from the National Capital to his late home
in Ohio; it was consequently a great feature upon this memorial occasion at San
Francisco. The following are the names of Sir Knights from Columbia Commandery present at the fitting tribute to Garfield’s
memory at Golden Gate Park August 24, 1883, and which names were placed in the
corner-stone with the casket:
“Sir William H. Brown, Past Eminent
Commander; Sir Abner T. Longley, Eminent Commander;
Sir John Wilson, Generalissimo; Sir James F. Allen, Captain General; Sir George
Gibson, Treasurer; Sir F. T. Howser, Quartermaster;
Sir Dr. Benjamin F. Lyford, Sir Edward Fitzki, Sir
Thomas Cavanaugh, Sir William T. Crump, Sir F. H. Spear.
“Of the above-named Sir Knights,
William H. Brown (Past Eminent Commander) who conferred the order on the late
President, and William T. Crump, attended upon the late President during his
illness; Dr. Benjamin F. Lyford, now of this city, recipient of the following
beautiful tribute, also held most intimate friendship with President Garfield.
Accordingly Dr. Lyford was the recipient of a unique New Year’s call at his
country seat in Marin county, from a special convoy
dispatched from Washington to deliver this tribute in person to Dr. Lyford, as
explained by the following letter:
“COLUMBIA
COMMANDERY, No. 2, K. T.,}
“Stationed at Washington, D. C. }
“WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 1883.
“Sir Night Benjamin Lyford, San Francisco, Cal:
“DEAR FRATER:---This
will introduce to you Sir John Dean, who has just been knighted and leaves this
day for San Francisco. He has been delegated by the Eminent Commander to
present a set of resolutions drafted y a Special Committee appointed by the Commandery at its stated Conclave, September 21, 1883.
These resolutions will but feebly express the high estimation of your fraters
for your knightly hospitality to their representatives who visited
California. Fraternally yours,
“Wm. Pittis,
Recorder.
“The resolutions, which constituted
a magnificent specimen of illuminated pen-work, were richly set in a frame 2
ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. 10 in. They were engrossed on eggshell paper and ornamented
with various seals and insignia, among which was a representation of a Sir
Knight in full uniform. Their text was as follows:
“COLUMBIA
COMMANDERY, No. 2, K. T.}
“Stationed at
Washington, D. C. }
“At a stated conclave of Columbia Commandery No. 2, held at their asylum, Friday, September
21, 1883, it was----
“Resolved,
That the Commandery unite with its representatives
who attended the Twenty-Seventh Triennial Conclave of the Grand Encampment
Knights Templar of the United States, held in San Francisco, Cal., in August,
in expression of thanks to our honored frater,
SIR BENJAMIN F. LYFORD, M. D.,
A member
of this Commandery, and now a resident of California,
for the kind, generous and unbounded hospitality shown by him to the Sir
Knights during said Conclave.
“Resolved,
That we shall always hold him in grateful remembrance for the interest he manifested
in Columbia Commandery and is members, for the warm-hearted
welcome he extended to one and all, and for the beautiful Masonic floral
tribute presented by him and his friends to our representatives.
“Resolved,
That the thanks of the Committee are especially due to Sir Knight Lyford and
his estimable wife for being permitted to spend with them such a delightful and
enjoyable Sabbath day, August 26th, at Eagle Dairy their lovely home
on the Pacific Coast.
“Resolved,
That the foregoing resolutions be properly engrossed
and transmitted to Sir Knight Lyford.
|
[GRAND
SEAL] |
”ABNER
T. LONGLEY, Em. Com. JOHN
WILLSON, Generalissimo. JAMES
F. ALLEN, Capt. Gen. GEORGE
GIBSON, Treasurer. EDWARD
FITZKI. Attest: |
} } }Committee } } WM.
PITTIS, Recorder.” |
His scientific attainments,
technical education and professional skill have given him a national
reputation, and his vigor of body and mind at the age of seventy years is a signal triumph of
hygiene.
He has been a benefactor, and has
conceived the plan of establishing a city at Point Tiburon that shall be a
great sanitarium---the abode of a strong healthy race, and work out a very
interesting, social and physiological problem for mankind.
His inventions, scientific papers
and discoveries have been original and of practical benefit to his race, and
together with his benefactions will perpetuate and keep his name in remembrance
by a grateful people.
He was married to Miss Hilarita Reed, a highly educated and most amiable lady,
with whom at their county seat in Marin county, life’s
dream of happiness and contentment are perfectly realistic in the full measure
of ideal life.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: “Illustrated
Fraternal Directory Including Educational Institutions on the Pacific Coast”,
Pages 122-124, Publ. Bancroft Co., San Francisco. Cal. 1889.
© 2012 Cecelia
M. Setty.
San Francisco County Biographies