Marshall County, West Virginia - Biography of Benjamin F. Caldwell.


BENJAMIN F. CALDWELL 

Benjamin F. Caldwell is a native of Marshalll county, and was born in
1828, being the oldest son of the late Van Caldwell, a popular farmer
and millwright, also of the same county.  Benjamin first inclined to
a river life, about 1840, engaging as a cabin boy on the steamer Arcade,
under Capt. Bennett.  But it only took four years to satisfy him that
a better fortune awaited him on terra firma.  In 1844 he engaged with
G. W. Johnson, of Main street, and learned the copper, tin and sheet
iron business.  He remained there five uears as an apprentice and four
years as a journeyman, when he decided to go into business for himself.
He thereupon associated himself with W. & J. Stewart, at what is now
known as Bell's foundry, in the north end.  In that enterprise he
remained from 1853 to 1857, when he withdrew, and opened a store on his
own account near the corner of Main and South streets.  Here he continued
till 1862, when he succeeded to his present address, where he has a fine
premises 66 by 80 feet.  In addition to tin, zonk, sheet iron and copper
working, he has a large variety of stoves, grates, grate fronts, house
furnishing goods, hardware, galvanized cornices, tin ware, &c, and is
conducting quite an extensive business.  He was married in 1853, to Dorcas,
second daughter of the late Richard Dolbey, of this city, by whom he has
a family of two daughters and two sons. 

From HISTORY OF THE PAN-HANDLE, West Virginia, 1879, by J. H. Newton, 
G. G. Nichols, and A. G. Sprankle. Page 270.  

Contributed by Linda Cunningham Fluharty.