10/03/2026
This is a photograph most likely from around 1890 of the children of John V. and Cassa (Bousman) Benham. Cassa was born in Elizabeth Township in 1831, the daughter of Leonard Bousman (also spelled Bausman) and Elizabeth Jackson Bousman. Both the Jacksons and the Bousmans came to Elizabeth Township in the early 1810s. John V. Benham was born in Warren County, Ohio in 1822 and moved to Elizabeth Township in 1845. He first stayed with his cousins John and Mary (Covert) Randolph. John went to work for Leonard Bousman and met Leonard’s daughter, Cassa, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The two oldest Benham brothers were fraternal twins, Robert Pierce and Albert Ross. They were born in 1852. Their father took a trip to California during the years of the Gold Rush. He came home with $200 (about $7500 today) and a few good stories. Frank Edwin was born in 1861, followed by Mary Emma “Emmie”(1862) and in Sarah Caroline “Callie” (1864).
Robert Benham married Martha Bradfute of Greene County. They had four children, Carrie, John, Cassa and Walter. Carrie was a teacher in Elizabeth township and went to Oberlin College in northern Ohio. She later moved to North Dakota where she was a nurse and then the head of nurse education for North Dakota for many years. Her sister, Cassa (Cassie) also attended Oberlin College, majoring in Geology. She taught school, then became a nurse, and finally she was a librarian. She moved to Minnesota after she married Robert Selnes, a prominent judge. They had no children. Robert farmed in Elizabeth Township for many years and moved to Troy for his retirement. He died in 1930. His son, John, stayed on the family farm. He married Fannie Fern Saylor and they farmed the farm on Gearhart Rd. Their daughter, Helen, married William Shellhaas and they had four sons, James, David, Joe and John who grew up across the road from Elizabeth School.
Albert married Burnetta Sayers and they had Corena, Charles and Roger. Albert farmed in Elizabeth Township and then removed to Tipp City in his retirement. He died in 1923.
Frank Benham farmed, raised Durham Cattle (now called Shorthorn) and Poland China Hogs. He also taught school and was the justice of the peace for Elizabeth Township for many years. There will be more on his family tomorrow.
Callie married Harry Freeman of Bethel Township. They had three children and lived in Phoneton, Ohio, where they ran a boarding house. After Harry died in 1897, Callie moved back to Elizabeth Township and lived with her sister, Emmie. She bought the farm next door for her son John Freeman, who paid it off in 10 years. John married Lilly Saylor (Fannie’s sister). Callie’s other son, Frances, moved to Montana, where he had a farm. Her daughter, Mary Emma (named for her sister), passed away at not quite a year old in 1895.
As we noted in a previous post, Emmie Benham never married but lived in the township her entire life. She helped the family as needed and had a route to sell eggs and butter in the Tipp City area. She told family she had had a very full and happy life.
