Bennett, Stephen E.

Stephen E. Bennett, born in what is now Clay County, Mississippi, on January 31, 1858, was a sturdy California rancher who represented the finest of Southern families. He moved to California with his parents in 1867, eventually settling at the junction of Fresno, Merced, and Mariposa Counties where his father engaged in stock-raising and his mother became one of the first school-teachers in Fresno County. As a young man, Stephen learned the printing trade through an apprenticeship at the Expositor pioneer newspaper in Millerton and Fresno before successfully entering the sheep business for several years. His early life and varied occupations reflect the perseverance of early settlers who adapted to the changing economic landscape of the region.

In 1888, Mr. Bennett married Martha A. Mullins, a native daughter of Mariposa County, and the couple subsequently raised three children named Lorenzo, Earl, and Marion. He purchased and developed a thirty-acre home place east of Selma on the Canal School Road, dedicating his land to peaches, raisin grapes, and alfalfa while actively participating in the California Associated Raisin Company and the Peach Growers, Inc. Beyond his agricultural pursuits, he served as a steward for the Methodist Episcopal Church South and was a member of the Woodmen of the World. Following his death from influenza on November 18, 1918, his large funeral and numerous floral offerings demonstrated the high esteem and respect he had earned throughout the community.