BENJAMIN W. BLANTON, a leading merchant of Wartrace, was born November 22, 1835, in Rutherford County, Tenn. He is the fifth of ten children born to Benjamin and Martha (Farmer) BLANTON, natives, respectively, of Virginia and Tennessee, and both of English descent. In 1818 the father of our subject immigrated to Rutherford County, Tenn., and partly on his farm was fought the battle of Murfreesboro. During the battle his dwelling-house and other buildings were used as a hospital for the Federal Army, and the farm was completely devastated. In 1865 he sold this farm and moved to Unionville, Bedford County, where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1885. The mother of our subject died in 1869.
Our subject was educated at Asbury Academy, near Murfreesboro, and at the high school in the latter place. He remained with his parents until reaching his majority, and then followed railroad bridge building until 1873, when he went into the mercantile business at Wartrace, where he still remains. He carries a large stock of goods and does a very successful business. In 1871 he married Miss F. E. BRAY, of Lincoln County, Tenn., and the fruits of this union were three children: Lula, Annie and Robert Lee.
Mr. BLANTON is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows’ fraternities, and , with the exception of three years prior to the present year, he held the office of mayor of Wartrace ever since 1873. He is now president of the Wartrace Male and Female Institute, also of the Wartrace Hollywood Cemetery, and a member of the board of education, of Wartrace. He is secretary of the Democratic Executive Committee, of Bedford County, and he an family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Transcribed by Kathryn Hopkins
Source: Goodspeed Publishing Co. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Reminescences [Sic], Observations, Etc., Etc. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1988.