Background
Born in Fryeburg, Oxford County, Maine, Benton was the son of Doctor Joseph and Catherine Benton and the brother of Nathaniel S. Benton.
United States representative lawyer politician
Born in Fryeburg, Oxford County, Maine, Benton was the son of Doctor Joseph and Catherine Benton and the brother of Nathaniel S. Benton.
Later, he attended Lowville Academy at Lowville, New New York During that time he also studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1835 and commenced practice at Little Falls, New New York
He pursued preparatory studies before moving to Herkimer County, New York in 1824 to live with an elder brother. Benton also learned the tanner’s trade, but left the trade and became the editor of the Mohawk Courier and the Little Falls Gazette from 1830 to 1832. Benton was Surrogate of Herkimer County from 1837 to 1841 and was also a judge advocate of the New York State Militia.
Elected as a Democrat to the 28th and 29th United States Congresses, Benton served as a United States Representative for the seventeenth district of New York from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1847.
Benton was Clerk of the New York Court of Appeals from 1847 to 1853 having been elected in 1847 and 1850. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1855 and subsequently became editor of the Milwaukee News.
Appointed by President Franklin Pierce in 1856 as Register of the United States Land Office at Louisiana Crosse, Wisconsin, Benton served until 1861. In 1862 he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the 38th United States Congress.
He engaged in agricultural pursuits near West Salem, Wisconsin and later, in 1865, at Galesburg, Illinois.
He returned to Louisiana Crosse, Wisconsin in 1869 and served as judge of Louisiana Crosse County, Wisconsin from 1874 to 1881. Benton died in Louisiana Crosse, Louisiana Crosse County, Wisconsin, on May 4, 1882 (age 71 years, 296 days). He is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery, Louisiana Crosse, Wisconsin.
