Phebe Bennett

Other Events:

• Residence: 1851, York, York, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, York, York, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1871, York, York, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1881, York, York, Ontario, Canada

Family/Spouse: Peter Erlin Kaiser. Peter was born on 24 Nov 1794 in Johnstown, Cambria, Pennsylvania, United States; died on 27 Mar 1862 in York, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mary Anne Kaiser was born in 1820 in Ontario, Canada; died on 9 May 1875.
2. Elizabeth Kaiser was born in 1822 in Markham, York, Ontario, Canada; died on 13 Apr 1884 in Wellington, Ontario, Canada.
3. Catherine Irvine Kaiser was born in 1823 in Ontario, Canada; died on 19 Dec 1895 in York, Ontario, Canada.
4. Sarah Kaiser was born on 8 Aug 1825 in York, Ontario, Canada; died on 7 May 1898 in Hibbert, Huron, Ontario, Canada.
5. Margaret Kaiser was born in 1827 in Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada; died on 21 Aug 1892 in Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada.
6. Jacob Kaiser was born in 1829 in Ontario, Canada; died on 21 Dec 1889 in York, Ontario, Canada.
7. Susannah Kaiser was born in 1830.
8. Phoebe Kaiser was born in 1832 in Ontario, Canada; died on 30 May 1903 in Ontario, Canada.
9. Peter E Kaiser was born in 1834 in York, Ontario, Canada; died on 23 Aug 1915 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada.
10. Frances Kaiser was born in 1836.
11. Matilda Kaiser was born in 1837 in Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada; died on 27 May 1917 in Unionville, York, Ontario, Canada.
12. Jesse Bennett Kaiser was born on 14 Jan 1839 in Ontario, Canada; died on 26 Feb 1918 in Wellington, Ontario, Canada.
13. Julie Ann Kaiser was born in 1841 in Ontario, Canada; died on 19 Aug 1886 in York, Ontario, Canada.
14. Lucinda Kaiser was born in 1845 in York, Ontario, Canada; died on 23 Jan 1884 in Wellington, Ontario, Canada.
15. Joshua Kaiser was born on 26 Oct 1848 in Ontario, Canada; died on 24 Mar 1922 in York, Ontario, Canada.
16. Mary Kaiser was born in 1848 in Ontario, Canada.

Jesse married Anna Catherine Cober. Anna (daughter of Peter Cober and Anne Margaret Stroeher) was born on 8 Feb 1781 in Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States; died in Jul 1869 in Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1800, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States; Brothersvalley
• Residence: 1830, Ridgeway, Orleans, New York, United States
• Residence: 1834, Ridgeway, Orleans, New York, United States

Notes:

Life & times of Isaac Bennett after moving to New York from Pennsylvania.

He moved from Brothersvalley, Pennsylvania after 1804 and is found in Medina, New York in 1809.

Aquilla Bennett Sr. told to his grandson, George Albert Bennett that:

?As a young child, he boiled salt in kettles with his father, Isaac Bennett, in Medina Twp, Orleans Co., NY. ?

Isaac's first attempt in the making of ?White Gold? (salt) was in 1813, but the enterprise was not sucessful. In 1818 he came into possesion of a unprofitable saltworks from the Holland Land Company. From 1818 to 1823, Isaac & family were in the business of salt production. Since Aquilla mentioned boiling the salt, it would make sense that Isaac's other son's, Jacob & Jesse also had a hand in this line of work. This saltworks was located on the east bank of Oak Orchard Creek in Oak Orchard village. Here he sunk a well 150 feet into the ground & found a good brine, which could be boiled down to get the salt.

He then contracted Israel & Seymour Murdock to furnish him with 64 kettles, which they acquired in Utica, NY and had shipped by lake, to the mouth of Oak Orchard creek. The Murdock boys then hired several teams to bring the heavy kettles to the works, arriving one day before Isaac's stipulated delivery date, once delivered they received their pay in gold. (By the end of this business venture Isaac had upwards of 70 kettles boiling.)

Making salt it seems was a labor intensive, dangerous & mundane job. After drawing the brine water to the surface it was emptied into the large boiling kettles, (some possibly set out in large bowls in the sun to evaporate). Men stood over the kettles, stirring the fetid smelling water with long wooden paddles. While this may sound like a hot job it was also very dangerous! Mention is made of men being severly scaled by the boiling brine and worse, falling in the huge kettles which ultimately led to their deaths.

Issac sold his salt for between $5-$10 a barrel ( $10 in 1825 had the same buying power as $217.90 current dollars) It appears then that Isaac was a fairly wealthy man, since it is stated about his saltworks: ?furnishing a large portion of all the salt used in this portion of the country.?

Isaac a wise businessman, could see the handwriting on the wall with the building of the Erie Canal. Once the Erie Canal was complete, salt could be shipped from Salina (now Syracuse) and purchased for a much cheaper price, which in turn would hurt his profits. He decided to sell his business in 1823 to Henry Boardman, who abandoned the business once the canal was completed.

There is much more to be found about Isaac Bennett. There is much documentation that shows he also amougst other ventures, made a pretty good living buying and selling very large tracts of land in Pennsylvania, West Virginia & New York. We think that he died around 1835 in New York....

Written by Lisa Hoffius. A huge Thanks goes to cousin David Sidney Bennett (Maryland) also a descendant of Isaac Bennett. After David's father passed away last year, he came into possesion of many notes written by his ancestors, leading to the discovery of where Isaac Bennett wandered off to after his years in Brothersvalley Twp., Somerset Co., PA.

Isaac married Hannah in Abt. 1775. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Peter married Anne Margaret Stroeher Anne was born in Abt. 1741 in Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]