Columbia-Montour County PA Archives Biographies.....FRUIT, Benjamin Franklin 1826 - 
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  Author: Biographical Publishing Co.
  
  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FRUIT,* an honored and highly respected citizen of Jerseytown,
  Pa., who has been living in retirement since 1880, is a descendant of one of the
  pioneer families of Buffalo Valley, Pa. Our subject is a son of John and Nancy
  (Bower) Fruit, and was born in Fruitstown, now White Hall, Montour County, Pa.,
  May 29, 1826.
  
    Our subject's great-grandfather, John Fruit, was a native of Ireland, who, in
  the hope of bettering his financial condition in life and of procuring a home
  for his children, immigrated to the undeveloped and unoccupied lands of this
  country prior to the Revolutionary War. He settled in Buffalo Valley, near
  Lewis-town, Pa., where he was one of the pioneer farmers of that section. He was
  the father of a large family of children, most of whom located in Buffalo Valley
  where they also engaged in the cultivation of the soil. John Fruit, the
  grandfather of our subject, was born in Buffalo Valley and during his younger
  days aided his father in clearing his farm. After continuing farming a number of
  years in that section he moved to what was then known as Fruitstown, now White
  Hall, Montour County; there he engaged in general merchandising the rest of his
  active days. Mr. Fruit was inspector of the state militia during the Black Hawk
  War. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. His wife was Ellen Clark, a
  native of Buffalo Valley, by whom he raised a large family of children.
  
    John Fruit, our subject's father, was his parents' oldest child and was born
  in Buffalo Valley; when he grew to manhood he moved to Jerseytown where he was
  engaged in the hotel business many years. Later he bought a farm in Madison
  township and was engaged in tilling the soil the rest of his life, with the
  exception of filling a county office, when he resided in Danville, the county
  seat. In 1834 he was elected treasurer of what was then Columbia and Montour
  counties, and in 1840 he was elected sheriff. He was a strong Democrat in
  politics and a leader in his county; religiously he was a member of the
  Presbyterian Church of which he was a consistent supporter. He was united in
  marriage to Nancy Bower, a daughter of John Bower, a native of Berks County,
  Pa., but a farmer of Derry township, Montour County. Four sons and two daughters
  were the results of this union, namely: Benjamin F., the subject of this
  personal history; Dr. Richard, deceased, late a physician of Hazleton, Pa.;
  John, deceased, was a practicing physician of Buckhorn, Pa.; Catherine, who
  resides at Hazleton, Pa.; Robert, deceased, who was a well-to-do farmer of
  Liberty township, Montour County, Pa.; and Jennie, the wife of John Jiles of
  Hazleton, Pa. Our subject's father passed from this life in 1875 at the age of
  seventy-five years.
  
    Benjamin Franklin Fruit was reared on his father's farm and received his
  education in the district schools of his native township and the high school at
  Danville; in 1849 he was employed as manager of the store owned by the Cool &
  Lochard Company, of Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, Pa. After remaining six years
  in their service he took a trip prospecting through Iowa and other Western
  States; returning to his native township he purchased the old homestead of his
  father, and carried on general farming for several years. He next took a
  position as manager of a store at Ebervale, Luzerne County, Pa. Six years later
  he embarked in the hotel business in Carbon County, Pat, and continued that line
  of business eight years, when he moved to Hazleton, Pa., where he remained until
  1878. During: that time he purchased a farm near Buckhorn, Hemlock township, and
  another in Madison township, Columbia County. Our subject next resided in
  Bloomsburg for two years, and then removed to Jerseytown, where he has since
  lived in retirement, with the exception of looking after his real estate.
  
    Mr. Fruit is a stanch Democrat in politics and has frequently been delegate to
  county and state conventions. He was united in marriage to Sarah Hendershot, a
  daughter of John Hendershot, a carpenter and farmer residing in Madison
  township. Our subject and wife are the parents of three children, only one of
  whom is living: Charles H., a resident of Jerseytown, who married Emma Swisher,
  a daughter of the late Dr. Thomas J. Swisher, and they have reared two
  daughters, Sarah and Margaret.
  
  
  Additional Comments:
  * The information contained in this biography was supplied by the subject of
  this sketch. A type-set copy of the biography was sent to the subject to be
  proof-read, but the subject did not edit and return the copy, so this biography
  may contain typographical errors.
  
    Extracted from:
      
      Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District
      Published by 
      Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)
  
  
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