Cotton, Benjamin F.

B. F. Cotton, born on July 31, 1862, near Cottontown, Tennessee, became a prominent pioneer of Fresno County, California, after arriving in the region in 1881. Educated in the grammar and high schools of his native state, he moved west to join his brother who had been pioneering in the area since 1875. At the time of his arrival, the region was dominated by grain farming with very few vineyards in existence, and he chose to locate on land three miles from what is now the townsite of Sanger. His early life in California reflects the true spirit of the early settlers who witnessed and shaped the agricultural transition of the county.

Dedicated to public service and community growth, Cotton was elected as a justice of the peace in 1887 and was recently re-elected to the same office for a four-year term. On May 1, 1888, he married Anna Cody, the daughter of Truman and Mary Cody, and together they had three children, with two surviving named William E. and Grace V. Brumbaugh. Beyond his judicial duties, he remains an active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Sanger Chamber of Commerce, and the Christian Church. His long-standing integrity and deep involvement in local projects have earned him a reputation as one of the most dependable and esteemed citizens of Sanger.