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- Benjamin Baird Siggins, son of Alexander and Margaret Kinnear Siggins,was born July 27, 1828, in Youngsville, Pa. He attended MeadvilleCollege, studied law and practiced awhile in Chariton, Iowa; then went toColorado near Central City, Gilpin Co., where he engaged for a number ofyears in gold mining. Became Judge of the Probate Court. While thefamily were on a visit in Warren County, the mother sickened and died atthe home of Kinnear Siggins at Cobham, Pa., near Tidioute. He themmarried Druzilla E. Belnap of Youngsville and went to Philadelphia,where they lived three years. After which they returned to WarrenCounty, Pa. He was always interested in educational matters, served as amember of the School Board in Youngsville for six years. While on avisit to his daughter, Emma S. White, in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1895or 1896, he wrote the following:
"After I left college, I read a course of law in the office of George B.Delamater; afterwards I taught school for three or four years. I wasconsidered quite a traveler for those days for I had been twice to theadjoining county of Crawford and had also visited New York state. In thespring of 1851, I made the trip form Brokenstraw to St. Paul gong all theway by water to Pittsburgh on a raft. From there I went down the OhioRiver to St. Louis and from there to St. Paul, Minnesota. While there Ivisited St. Anthony's Falls, which was the head of navigation for theMississippi boats. While in St Paul I worked in the office of theSecretary of State; here I met Irvine Siggins, son of my uncle William.
From St. Paul I went to Iowa and worked with a government surveying partylaying out township sites. I soon contracted fever and ague and was illfor some weeks. I fortunately fell in with a man who took the best ofcare of me and stayed with me until I had recovered. I then left theCoon River district near Ft. Des Moines for the more healthful localityon the Redbank River, -- here I met an attorney Mr. Allen, who madearrangements for me to call upon a judge in Des Moines before whom Iappeared for a verbal examination which resulted in my being turned overto a committee who finally after a lengthy questioning on their part,gave me a certificate which formally admitted me to the Bar at the nextterm of the District Court of Lucas County.
I settled in Chariton, Iowa in July 1852, and lived with a man namedHenry Allen. The court house was a small two story log structure, thelower floor being used for public meetings, post office, court room,etc. Rev. Searcy, the postmaster, had a method all his own fordelivering the mail. Untying the hemp mail sack, he scattered thecontents on the floor and shouted 'Pick out your mail' , all that wasleft he carried in his pockets as he went about town delivering them tothe parties to whom they were addressed."
His daughter tells the following:
In the summer of 1861 my father, Benjamin B, Siggins with his family wasjourneying overland from Iowa to Colorado, somewhere in Nebraska webecame separated from our friends who were making the journey with us.We stopped one evening to make camp and were just sitting down to ourevening meal when an old Indian chief of the Pawnee Tribe walked into thetent. Father gave him a generous helping of warm biscuits, after eatingthem he went outside and soon returned with a sharp stick in his hand,this he he proceeded to fill with the biscuits which remained on thetable. After his departure mother made more biscuits. When we were aboutto resume our interrupted meal our Indian visitor returned bringingseveral members of his tribe with him. These were fed as the others hadbeen, departing almost immediately thereafter. When the old chief againreturned with still other hungry men father was obliged to refuse to feedthem fearing his supply of flour would not last until we reached the nexttown. This angered the Indians and they withdrew to some distance tohold a council to determine what should be done with us. At the end ofabout an hour they returned and pointing off across the prairie motionedus to be off--we were not long in taking our departure. It was a verydark night and not until nearly morning did the stars appear revealing tous the fact that we had turned completely around and were drivingdirectly toward the camp we had quitted so hurriedly the night before.This timely discovery probably averted what might have easily been atragic encounter to say the least.
Laura Siggins Messerly
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1828 - 1903 (74 years)