Colonel Benjamin Stephenson's Life
| 1769 Born on July 8, in the Colony of Pennsylvania. | 1788 Emigrated to Virginia in his nineteenth year. | 1809 First Sheriff of Randolf County, Illinois. |
| 1812-1814 Colonel in military service in two campaigns of the War of 1812. | 1814-1816 Representative in the United States Congress from the Illinois Territory. He was a Democrat and a protege of Ninian Edwards. | 1815 or 1816 Opened the second store in Edwardsville. Appointed "Receiver of Public Moneys" when the land office was established in Edwardsville. |
| 1816-1818 Organizer of the first bank in Edwardsville. | 1818 State Representative to the convention which convened in Kaskaskia to frame the first Illinois government. | 1819, Fedruary 23 Appointed, with six other men, as the Board of Trustees for the Town of Edwardsville. This is the first mention of government for Edwardsville. |
| 1819, August 6 Assosted Auguste Choteau and Indian Agent Ninian Edwards in negotiating a treaty for the United States to purchase land fromthe Kickapoo Indians, a part of central Illinois. | 1819 With Ninian Edwards and others petitioned the Board of Trustees that a tract of land adjoining the town should be annexed and made a part of Edwardsville. This tract of land which they owned was the "southeast end of town and was laid out in blocks and streets...designed to superseded the old town." | 1820 Left his residence on norther Main Street and began construction of his new home in upper Edwardsville. |
| 1822 Died October 10,1822, in his home. Was buried in Lusk Memorial Cemetery, Edwardsville, Illinois. |
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