Benjamin Franklin Dean was the son of Hiram and Eliza (Wintemote) Dean. His mother passed away soon after birth.
Census records list him as Francis or Frank, but in later years he was referred to Ben, BF or Benjamin Franklin Dean.
He grew up in Darke County, Ohio with his older siblings and cousins. The family owned a mill.
"On April 8, 1861, when he was 21, Ben enlisted in Company A, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, also known as the "Jayhawkers" at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was described at enlistment as: 5'8", fair complexion, blue eyes, dark hair. This was the outbreak of the Civil War and he worked as the bodyguard of General James Lane. He also served as a recruiting officer and scouted with 'Buffalo' Bill Cody. After several engagements, he was wounded and discharged for disability. His discharge papers stated "Said soldier was injured while moving his horse on march from Jacksonport to Helena, Arizona in July 1862 causing hernia." He received a disability discharge on October 4, 1863. He moved to the Western plains and for a time drove ox and mule teams carrying supplies to army posts in the West. The Indians were hostile, killing teamsters and looting cargoes, but by luck and taking the precaution of camping without fires and traveling well off the trails at night, he made many trips from Atchison to Denver and back with out being attacked."
Benjamin was married 26 Feb 1866 to Nancy Armstrong in American City, Nemaha Co KS. They had met as children when their families were traveling across country in the wagon train.
Ben and Nancy raised seven children, starting in American City with James Curtis, Frederick Charles, and Orville Vernon.
They traveled to Los Angeles and found a home near Long Beach. Two more children were born there: Alma Myrtle and Jesse Martin.
My mother passed along a story about the black ooze in the soil that the children kept carrying in on their bare feet. Once it was learned that the black ooze was oil, the family was notified that the sale of the house did not go through and they were evicted. So the Dean family moved up the coast and eventually settled in Blyn, Washington Territory, before Washington became a state.
While in Blyn, their family became complete with the birth of Daisy Maude and Charlotte Evelyn. All of the Dean children grew strong and healthy and lived into their senior years.
Benjamin Franklin Dean became a pioneer in the territory, making friends among the natives and owned a store and cannery serving also as a postmaster and helped his neighbors get established as newcomers to the territory. After the children were raised, the Dean's moved to Seattle, and BF worked in real estate with his sons.
Benjamin and Nancy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb 26, 1916 and all the grown children were there to celebrate. Nancy passed away on Halloween of 1917. Benjamin retired to a Veteran's hospital in Long Beach, where he died in February of 1922. His remains were brought to the family plot at Waschelli in Seattle.
Census records list him as Francis or Frank, but in later years he was referred to Ben, BF or Benjamin Franklin Dean.
He grew up in Darke County, Ohio with his older siblings and cousins. The family owned a mill.
"On April 8, 1861, when he was 21, Ben enlisted in Company A, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, also known as the "Jayhawkers" at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was described at enlistment as: 5'8", fair complexion, blue eyes, dark hair. This was the outbreak of the Civil War and he worked as the bodyguard of General James Lane. He also served as a recruiting officer and scouted with 'Buffalo' Bill Cody. After several engagements, he was wounded and discharged for disability. His discharge papers stated "Said soldier was injured while moving his horse on march from Jacksonport to Helena, Arizona in July 1862 causing hernia." He received a disability discharge on October 4, 1863. He moved to the Western plains and for a time drove ox and mule teams carrying supplies to army posts in the West. The Indians were hostile, killing teamsters and looting cargoes, but by luck and taking the precaution of camping without fires and traveling well off the trails at night, he made many trips from Atchison to Denver and back with out being attacked."
Benjamin was married 26 Feb 1866 to Nancy Armstrong in American City, Nemaha Co KS. They had met as children when their families were traveling across country in the wagon train.
Ben and Nancy raised seven children, starting in American City with James Curtis, Frederick Charles, and Orville Vernon.
They traveled to Los Angeles and found a home near Long Beach. Two more children were born there: Alma Myrtle and Jesse Martin.
My mother passed along a story about the black ooze in the soil that the children kept carrying in on their bare feet. Once it was learned that the black ooze was oil, the family was notified that the sale of the house did not go through and they were evicted. So the Dean family moved up the coast and eventually settled in Blyn, Washington Territory, before Washington became a state.
While in Blyn, their family became complete with the birth of Daisy Maude and Charlotte Evelyn. All of the Dean children grew strong and healthy and lived into their senior years.
Benjamin Franklin Dean became a pioneer in the territory, making friends among the natives and owned a store and cannery serving also as a postmaster and helped his neighbors get established as newcomers to the territory. After the children were raised, the Dean's moved to Seattle, and BF worked in real estate with his sons.
Benjamin and Nancy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb 26, 1916 and all the grown children were there to celebrate. Nancy passed away on Halloween of 1917. Benjamin retired to a Veteran's hospital in Long Beach, where he died in February of 1922. His remains were brought to the family plot at Waschelli in Seattle.
Benjamin Franklin Dean was the son of Hiram and Eliza (Wintemote) Dean. His mother passed away soon after birth.
Census records list him as Francis or Frank, but in later years he was referred to Ben, BF or Benjamin Franklin Dean.
He grew up in Darke County, Ohio with his older siblings and cousins. The family owned a mill.
"On April 8, 1861, when he was 21, Ben enlisted in Company A, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, also known as the "Jayhawkers" at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was described at enlistment as: 5'8", fair complexion, blue eyes, dark hair. This was the outbreak of the Civil War and he worked as the bodyguard of General James Lane. He also served as a recruiting officer and scouted with 'Buffalo' Bill Cody. After several engagements, he was wounded and discharged for disability. His discharge papers stated "Said soldier was injured while moving his horse on march from Jacksonport to Helena, Arizona in July 1862 causing hernia." He received a disability discharge on October 4, 1863. He moved to the Western plains and for a time drove ox and mule teams carrying supplies to army posts in the West. The Indians were hostile, killing teamsters and looting cargoes, but by luck and taking the precaution of camping without fires and traveling well off the trails at night, he made many trips from Atchison to Denver and back with out being attacked."
Benjamin was married 26 Feb 1866 to Nancy Armstrong in American City, Nemaha Co KS. They had met as children when their families were traveling across country in the wagon train.
Ben and Nancy raised seven children, starting in American City with James Curtis, Frederick Charles, and Orville Vernon.
They traveled to Los Angeles and found a home near Long Beach. Two more children were born there: Alma Myrtle and Jesse Martin.
My mother passed along a story about the black ooze in the soil that the children kept carrying in on their bare feet. Once it was learned that the black ooze was oil, the family was notified that the sale of the house did not go through and they were evicted. So the Dean family moved up the coast and eventually settled in Blyn, Washington Territory, before Washington became a state.
While in Blyn, their family became complete with the birth of Daisy Maude and Charlotte Evelyn. All of the Dean children grew strong and healthy and lived into their senior years.
Benjamin Franklin Dean became a pioneer in the territory, making friends among the natives and owned a store and cannery serving also as a postmaster and helped his neighbors get established as newcomers to the territory. After the children were raised, the Dean's moved to Seattle, and BF worked in real estate with his sons.
Benjamin and Nancy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb 26, 1916 and all the grown children were there to celebrate. Nancy passed away on Halloween of 1917. Benjamin retired to a Veteran's hospital in Long Beach, where he died in February of 1922. His remains were brought to the family plot at Waschelli in Seattle.
Census records list him as Francis or Frank, but in later years he was referred to Ben, BF or Benjamin Franklin Dean.
He grew up in Darke County, Ohio with his older siblings and cousins. The family owned a mill.
"On April 8, 1861, when he was 21, Ben enlisted in Company A, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, also known as the "Jayhawkers" at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was described at enlistment as: 5'8", fair complexion, blue eyes, dark hair. This was the outbreak of the Civil War and he worked as the bodyguard of General James Lane. He also served as a recruiting officer and scouted with 'Buffalo' Bill Cody. After several engagements, he was wounded and discharged for disability. His discharge papers stated "Said soldier was injured while moving his horse on march from Jacksonport to Helena, Arizona in July 1862 causing hernia." He received a disability discharge on October 4, 1863. He moved to the Western plains and for a time drove ox and mule teams carrying supplies to army posts in the West. The Indians were hostile, killing teamsters and looting cargoes, but by luck and taking the precaution of camping without fires and traveling well off the trails at night, he made many trips from Atchison to Denver and back with out being attacked."
Benjamin was married 26 Feb 1866 to Nancy Armstrong in American City, Nemaha Co KS. They had met as children when their families were traveling across country in the wagon train.
Ben and Nancy raised seven children, starting in American City with James Curtis, Frederick Charles, and Orville Vernon.
They traveled to Los Angeles and found a home near Long Beach. Two more children were born there: Alma Myrtle and Jesse Martin.
My mother passed along a story about the black ooze in the soil that the children kept carrying in on their bare feet. Once it was learned that the black ooze was oil, the family was notified that the sale of the house did not go through and they were evicted. So the Dean family moved up the coast and eventually settled in Blyn, Washington Territory, before Washington became a state.
While in Blyn, their family became complete with the birth of Daisy Maude and Charlotte Evelyn. All of the Dean children grew strong and healthy and lived into their senior years.
Benjamin Franklin Dean became a pioneer in the territory, making friends among the natives and owned a store and cannery serving also as a postmaster and helped his neighbors get established as newcomers to the territory. After the children were raised, the Dean's moved to Seattle, and BF worked in real estate with his sons.
Benjamin and Nancy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb 26, 1916 and all the grown children were there to celebrate. Nancy passed away on Halloween of 1917. Benjamin retired to a Veteran's hospital in Long Beach, where he died in February of 1922. His remains were brought to the family plot at Waschelli in Seattle.
Gravesite Details
aged 81-died of nephritis
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
