Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/693

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 613 whom lie had five children, two of whom lived to maturity, viz., Louise, wife of Clyde Harrison of Cape Girardeau, and Robert Clifton, also living in Cape Girardeau. Mrs. Ranney died in 1892. In 189-4 Mr. Ranney married Emma "Wathen, by whom he also had five children, all of whom are living, as follows: Watheua, Roberta, Ralph G., Mary and Maud. The Judge is one of the oldest born citi- zens of southeastern Missouri, where he has spent the whole of his life, with the excep- tion of his school days, when he went both south and east. He has always been a firm upholder of Democratic principles, believing that in them are the principles of good gov- ernment. He believes in party spirit, not be- cause he is prepared to endorse everything that is done by his party, but he does heart- ily endorse its great principles. He thinks and reasons for himself and is most tolerant of the opinions of others, to whom he grants the same right of free thinking and acting. Although he is decided in his own views he does not necessarily think all others are wrong. He is a man with a keen sense of justice and right, a man who has helped to make of Cape Girardeau the power that it now is in the state. Horace D. Benedict. Americans are be- ginning to realize the moral as well as the historical significance of genealogical founda- tions. A nation which relies upon the rec- ord of its homes for its national character cannot afford to ignore the value of genealog- ical investigation as one of the truest sources of patriotism. The love of home inspires the love of country. There is a wholesome influence in genealogical research which can- not be overestimated. Moreover, there is a deep human interest to it. The Hon. Horace Dryden Benedict, present mayor and promi- nent business man at Fredericktown, Jlis- souri, is a scion of an old, old English family, his genealogy in England being traced back to the eleventh century. The original pro- genitor of the name in America settlect at Rotterdam, Connecticut, having immigrated to that place at a very early day. Subse- quently members of the family removed to Canada and on their return to the United States settled in St. Lawrence county. New York, where they were engaged largely in surveying. The great-grandfather of him whose name forms the caption for this re- view was killed in the war of 1812 by In- dians and a number of his forebears were gallant soldiers in the war for independence. The career of Horace D. Benedict has been varied and interesting in the extreme, as will be noted in ensuing paragraphs. He was born in Jefferson county. New York, on the 11th of January, 1843, and is a son of Amasa and Waty (Reynolds) Benedict, both natives of New York. "When the young Horace was two years old his parents re- moved froiu the east to northern Ohio, where he was reared to adult age. During his life time he had resided in twenty-six diff'crent states and for a time he also maintained his home in Canada. As a young man he learned the trade of telegraph operator and for a number of years he was in the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, also doing construction on that and other roads. At the time of the inception of the Civil war Mr. Benedict was fired with boyish en- thusiasm for the cause of the Union and enlisted at the first call for volunteers, be- coming a member of the Fourteenth Ohio Regiment. Three months later he enlisted for three years in the Third Ohio, and while a member of that regiment was captured at the battle of luka and sent to prison at Vicksburg, where he was held in duress for nearly three months. He saw much hard service but was never seriously injured. He participated in the Atlanta campaign and received his discharge and was mustered out of service in November, 186-4. After the completion of his military service IIr. Bene- dict returned to Ohio, whence he removed to St. Louis, Jlissouri, in the following year. In the latter city he entered the Military telegraph service and later engaged in rail- road construction work, as previously noted. On the 1st of July, 1888, he located at Fred- ericktown, where he engaged in contracting and Iniilding work, having a large number of men in his employ and also handling all kinds of building supplies. In the early '90s he became interested in the old Madison County Bank at Fredericktown, serving as vice-president and manager of that institu- tion for a number of years. This concern was later disposed of to the trust company. For several years past Mr. Benedict has lived retired, contenting himself with a gen- eral supervision of his extensive holdings. He is the owner of nine beautiful residences