El Dorado County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
 
DAVID BENNETT
 
            Is a son of George and Clohey (nee Latton) Bennett.  His father was 
a native of Western Virginia, and his mother of Steuben county, New York.  They 
were married in Ohio and David was born at Waterloo, on the 20th day of 
November, 1820.  When ten years old his parents removed to Ohio, and soon after 
to near Lewistown, Fulton county, Illinois, where they lived for twenty years.  
David was married October 7, 1841, to Maria Louisa Fuller, a daughter of James 
Fuller, of Lewistown. For 9 years he resided in Illinois working on the farm in 
summer and at coopering in winter.  In 1850 in company with a brother and some 
friends, fitted up an ox team and crossed the plains to California, leaving the 
family behind in Illinois.  He followed the mines in Nevada, El Dorado and 
Tuolumne counties until 1852, when he returned to the Atlantic States.  After 
spending one year there he again crossed the plains with his family, consisting 
of wife and five children.
            He then located on Deer Creek, this was in 1854.
            In 1857 he  purchased the place on which he now resides, from St. 
Clair Denver, who had only a squatter�s right.  It consists of 360 acres of 
beautiful land well wooded and watered, 2 � miles from Shingle Springs, the 
present terminus of the railroad, which passes direct through Mr. Bennett�s 
ranch.  He has reared a family of eight children, three sons and five daughters, 
viz.:  Erasmus D., William L., Elizabeth, who died at the age of 16, Mary H., 
Minnie A., now Mrs. Henry Goodcell, Jno. D., Nettie and Ida M., all of whom are 
well educated.
            Mr. Bennett came to the county a poor man, and at one time lost 
heavily by the destruction of his barn and contents by fire, and yet by hard 
work and economy has accumulated a handsome property on his farm; he has about 
10,000 grape vines and a good orchard.  His second marriage was on the 8th day 
of May, 1870, to Mrs. Saunders, widow of Charles Saunders, of Latrobe.  A view 
of the residence of Mr. Bennett will be found on another page of this volume.
 
Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, California with Illustrations & 
Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men & Pioneers - Oakland, Cal. - Paolo 
Sioli, Publisher, 1883. p � 233-234
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler