San Diego County Biographies
 
L. B. BENNETT

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


Of Alamo, was born in McLean County, Kentucky, January 7,  1859. His parents 
were natives of Kentucky. There were six children, all of whom are living, the 
subject of this sketch being the oldest of the family. His parents are still 
living on the old homestead in Kentucky, his father being a farmer. L. B. 
Bennett lived at home until he was about twenty-one years of age; he received a 
preliminary course of training at the the common schools, then finished a three 
years' course at the Southwest Institute, situated at South Carrollton, 
Kentucky. He then entered the law office of Judge J. C Johnson, remaining two 
years, at the end of which time he was admitted to the bar. He was then elected 
county attorney for McLean County and held office one term of two years. In 1882 
he went to Nevada, and for one year practiced law at Belmont, county seat of Nye 
County. In October, 1883, he went to Washington Territory, at Seattle and 
Whatcom, on Bellingham Bay, remaining one year. In July, 1884, he came to San 
Diego, and being financially "broke" accepted a position as barkeeper in the 
retail liquor business, remaining until 1887, when he went to Ensenada and 
started in the same business, under the firm name of Blanden & Bennett. In the 
spring of 1889 he went to Alamo, Santa Clara mining district, and opened a 
saloon, billiard and club rooms. He now thinks of closing up business and 
returning to the practice of his profession. The town of Alamo was laid out by 
the International Company, June, 1889. It was a level mesa, covered with a 
growth of juniper and manzanita. The company cleared the streets July, 1889, and 
in August building and occupancy began. The town was opened by the company 
giving twenty lots to twenty representative men who would immediately improve, 
the lots being located about the plaza. The subject of this sketch received one 
lot, and has built a house valued at $2,000, adobe walls and shingle roof, 
buying shingles and lumber in San Diego and freighting down, the freight alone 
costing $250.
 
SOURCE:  An Illustrated History of Southern California:  Embracing the Counties 
of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California� Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890.  p.-  338-339