Charles Brewster Benedict

Charles Brewster Benedict (February 7, 1828 – October 3, 1901) was an American lawyer, banker, and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1877 to 1879. He was born in Attica, Wyoming County, New York, the son of Thomas Benedict and Sarah Brewster Benedict. Raised in western New York, he attended the local public schools and later pursued further studies at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, reflecting an early commitment to education that would shape his initial professional pursuits.

After completing his schooling, Benedict taught in local schools and engaged in agricultural pursuits, combining teaching with farming in the rural community where he had been raised. On August 6, 1853, he married Sophronia B. Matteson in Darien, New York. The couple established their home in the region and had five children: Lewis, Helen, Frances, Clara, and Charles. During these years he began to study law, preparing for admission to the bar while continuing his work as a teacher and farmer.

Benedict was admitted to the bar in 1856 and commenced the practice of law in Attica, New York. Even before his formal admission, he had entered public service as justice of the peace, holding that office from 1854 to 1860. His legal practice and judicial responsibilities gave him a growing reputation in Wyoming County and laid the foundation for his later political and business activities. Over time, his interests expanded beyond the law into finance and land development, areas in which he would become a prominent figure.

In addition to his legal and local judicial work, Benedict became deeply involved in banking and commercial enterprise. He organized and served as president of the Attica National Bank, and he also led the Bank of Attica, helping to provide financial services to a developing region of upstate New York. Extending his business interests westward, he organized and was president of the First National Bank of Moorhead, Minnesota. He acquired very extensive land holdings in Minnesota and North Dakota, reflecting both his entrepreneurial outlook and his participation in the broader economic expansion of the post–Civil War era.

Benedict’s prominence in local affairs led naturally to elective office. He served as a member of the board of supervisors of Wyoming County from 1869 to 1871 and again from 1873 to 1875, acting part of the time as chairman of the board. In this capacity he participated in county governance during a period of growth and modernization in rural New York. His influence within the Democratic Party also increased, and in 1875 he served as a member of the Democratic State Committee, helping to shape party strategy and organization at the state level.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, Benedict advanced to national office when he was elected to the Forty-fifth Congress. He served as a U.S. Representative from March 4, 1877, to March 3, 1879, during a significant period in American history marked by the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of the Gilded Age. In Congress he contributed to the legislative process, participating in the democratic governance of the nation and representing the interests of his constituents from New York. After serving this single term, he was not a candidate for renomination in 1878.

Following his departure from Congress, Benedict returned to Attica and resumed his banking and business activities. He continued to be identified with the financial institutions he had helped to establish and with the management of his extensive landholdings in the Upper Midwest. Remaining a respected figure in his hometown and region, he lived in Attica for the rest of his life. Charles Brewster Benedict died in Attica, Wyoming County, New York, on October 3, 1901, at the age of 73 years and 238 days. He was interred in Forest Hill Cemetery in Attica, New York.