Senator Benjamin Franklin Allen View All Years

MR. PRESIDENT—Your special committee appointed to prepare resolutions commemorating the life, character and public services of Benjamin F. Allen beg leave to submit the following report:

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALLEN.

Benjamin Franklin Allen, who was a member of the Senate of the state of Iowa 1870-74, died at Hollywood, California, on the 14th day of April, 1914. Mr. Allen was born at Salem, Indiana, April 27, 1829. It was in that state that he earned his first money, selling fruit. He came to Iowa in the year 1848, with means variously estimated, but a remarkable amount for one so young, who had to make it for himself. He went into merchandising at first, but, like most persons in pioneer towns, helped in other projects. He was a partner in the first sawmill in the vicinity of the future capital of the state; a venture not only profitable but of much importance to the business interests of the county, where was to be found an immense growth of black walnut trees, so plentiful that that sort of lumber was utilized for all sorts of purposes, sidewalks even being constructed of it. Mr. Allen also bought and had brought to the head of navigation on the Des Moines river, that is to the “forks of the Raccoon,” the first boat that got to that point. In 1855 he combined banking with his enterprises. At that time there were laws against the establishment of “banks,” which to the pioneers only meant banks of issue, as the language of our constitution indicates. Not only were banks of issue forbidden, but the circulation of paper money was penalized. But Americans had been too long accustomed to the use of paper money and appreciated its convenience. That kind of money had wide circulation, but the character of such was of widely different kinds. Many Iowa bankers got out bills purporting to come from the territory of Nebraska and elsewhere. Among the paper money thus circulated, the Bank of Nebraska, that back of which was Frank Allen, as he was universally called, had the highest reputation, so much so that persons getting hold of bills of that bank were disposed to hold on to them; they were good. At the beginning of the war, and for several years before, paper money of that kind was about all the money that circulated here, the rate of exchange getting to extravagant figures; but the holders of the Nebraska bank money had no such rates to pay. It was as good as the Illinois money that had the better reputation in that time of uncertainty in the currency. When the new constitution became the fundamental law of the state, and a state bank was established, Mr. Allen became a director of the branch that was established at Des Moines. That state bank had always a high reputation, and it eventually was merged into the national bank system, the Des Moines branch becoming the State National Bank of Des Moines. Some years later it absorbed the First National Bank of the city. Thus, from 1855, for twenty years, the name of B. F. Allen as a capitalist stood very high in Iowa’s financial circles; none were higher. His aid was freely given to worthy benevolences, and his help to struggling young persons often was that which enabled them to get on their feet financially.

In 1869, Mr. Allen was chosen by the people of the county of Polk to a seat in this body. In the Thirteenth General Assembly he was chairman of the committee on the Suppression of Intemperance, and in the Fourteenth of that on Banks. His work here is largely reflected in the stately edifice in which this body sits.

In the year 1873, Mr. Allen removed to Chicago, where he undertook to save from ruin the Cook County National Bank. The effort proved too much for him, the great crash of that year coming on soon after he went to the great city. Then the man’s princely fortune disappeared, and the successful and popular capitalist saw his vast wealth vanish.

Mr. Allen soon afterwards removed to California, where the man of benevolence when possessed of abundant means spent the last years of a life which in its prime was a highly useful one.

Mr. Allen was, on the 31st day of January, 1854, united in marriage with Miss Thusa West. The fifteenth anniversary of that event, observed as it was in the palatial home he had just erected, was a memorable event of the time. Mrs. Allen and their younger daughter long years ago preceded husband and father to the life beyond. Three children remain: Mrs. Swords of New York city, and Messrs. Frank and Harry of California.

In memory of this man so potently helpful in his day of opulence and so useful a man and a legislator, be it

Resolved, By the Senate of the state of Iowa, that this memorial be entered on its Journal and an engrossed copy thereof be transmitted to the family of the deceased.

ADDISON M. PARKER,

FRED G. HENIGBAUM,

ROBERT QUIGLEY,

Committee.

The resolutions were adopted unanimously by a rising vote.