Benjamin Wetherill Brunson (1823–1898) was an American surveyor and politician who served in the Minnesota Territorial House of Representatives from 1849 until 1852. He was one of the original

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ters of

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

Biography

Brunson was born in 1823 in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. His father,

Alfred Brunson Alfred Brunson (February 9, 1793 – August 3, 1882) was an American Methodist circuit rider, lawyer, and territorial legislator. Born in Danbury, Connecticut, Brunson served in the War of 1812. Brunson was a Methodist church circuit rider in ...

, was a prominent

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

preacher. In 1835, the Brunsons moved to

Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821. Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest cit ...

, then a part of

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroi ...

. Brunson came to

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

in 1847 and assisted his brother,

Ira B. Brunson Ira Burr Brunson (November 5, 1815 – August 21, 1883) was an American pioneer, jurist, and territorial legislator. Born in Fowler, Ohio, he settled in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Territory in 1836. He surveyed land in the area. He served in di ...

, in platting the city for the first time. He would then serve in the Minnesota Territorial House of Representatives for the first and second sessions. In 1855, the

Benjamin Brunson House The Benjamin Brunson House is one of the oldest houses remaining in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota it was built ca. 1856 in the area known as "railroad island," being surrounded by tracks. It is listed on the National Register of ...

was built. It was built in a

federal style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several in ...

and was listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1975. It is one of the oldest surviving houses in Saint Paul. Brunson joined the

8th Minnesota Infantry Regiment The 8th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was a Minnesota USV infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Indian Wars and the American Civil War. Service The 8th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was mustered into Federal service at ...

for the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

. The regiment would eventually merge into

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

's army in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

. He achieved the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. He died in Saint Paul in May 1898.

Notes

References

External links

Biography
at

Minnesota Legislature The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decenn ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunson, Benjamin Wetherill 1823 births 1898 deaths Members of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature American surveyors People from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin People from Saint Paul, Minnesota Politicians from Detroit