Benj. F. Hines
Benj. F. Hines was born in Richland Co., O., Sept. 26, 1829. Died March 23, 1893, aged 63 years, 5 months and 27 days. He, like all the pioneers learned the lesson of toil when quite young and never failed to apply it through subsequent life. Although lacking the means of education in that early day, he did not lack in a business education in knowing men and the world. B.F. Hines was a handsome man, good constitution and muscles of iron developed by long years of toil. His ancestors came from Maryland, settled in Richland County when it was new and battled with hardships of pioneer life that our modern pale-faced gentry scarcely dream and would not believe if they were told. Our hero worked on the farm until he was sixteen years old, when he determined to learn the shoemaker’s trade and was accordingly apprenticed to Josiah Armstrong, a man well known to the citizens of Bellville, and who “Sleeps the sleep that knows no waking” in our own beautiful cemetery. We next find young Hines working with Solomon Wagner down the creek several miles by the old Lutheran church. Here they measured peoples’ feet and made the boots and shoes after the good, old fashioned, substantial style. No pasteboard soles in those days, but if a young man wanted his boot to creak, a little resin and goose-quills would fix them all right. Soon Wagner came to town, and at one time Hines and Green both worked for him. These men were accustomed thus to help each other for years. While thus employed, like all other good men at about the age of twenty-one, he was engaged and married to Miss Mary Armstrong on the 12th. Day of August, 1850, a lady of good family and standing, who was also eastern born. Three children came to bless this union, two boys and one girl, C. Burt, being the youngest. The others died in infancy. Hines soon became a partner of Wagner and they kept a stock of goods on sale, manufacturing as usual. The partnership of Wagner and Hines was ere long severed by the misfortunes of trade. Hines going to Mansfield and working for Hiram Smith on the bench for a period of six months. At the expiration of this time Hines bought property where Fisher’s grocery now is located, moved into the building and kept a shoe store in the front part. Here he lived until 1857 when Mr. Hines learning that the Dr. Ell’s property was for sale, closed the bargain in about fifteen minutes and has ever since occupied the beautiful location south of the Park. Promptness, uprightness and the strictest honesty were the leading qualities of Benj. F. Hines. B.F. Hines was strictly temperate, a member of whom both the I.O.O.F. and F.&A.M. lodges were proud. He was always ready to help the needy. He commenced in 1850 in the financial world with but a single horse given him by his father and in 1893 by his industry he had made three good farms, fine town property and several lots, good brick store room and stock as other property that it was not or place to inquire after. Here is a career well worth the study of any young man. The sad thing about it is, he died as we must all do. On the morning of March 24, 1893, his body was found in the Clearfork River lodged against a small island on the land now owned by D.W. Wilson, he having got into the creek on the 23, about ten or eleven o’clock. He got into the creek at the place that will ever be famous, known as the Willow Bend. As it is customary, the coroner was summoned on this occasion and after examining the body and a dozen witnesses decided that B.F. Hines had sui__ed from melancholy. Opinions ____ as to this however, and it ever will be a profound mystery.
From The Bellville Independent, April 6, 1893