Terms Served
Listed by term start date:
- 1882 (1st Term)
- 1883 (2nd Term)
Biography
Erastus Sherman Benedict (1825-1906) is the grandson of Revolutionary War Veteran Naham (Nahum) Benedict and wife Rachel Lockwood who arrived in the town of Greece from Connecticut in 1830. The couple purchased twelve acres on the Ridge Road where Ridgemont Plaza sits today. Erastus’ parents Alva and Chloe Sherman Benedict originally settled in Henrietta, but took over the parents Greece farm in 1837, expanding the property to 465 acres by 1850.
Erastus Sherman Benedict (1825-1906) continued the family tradition of farming. He married his first wife, Ann Robbins, in 1850; she died the following year. Erastus then married Calphurnia Hillman (1820-1897), widow of a Mr. Newton and sister of noted Greece physician Dr. Lovinus Hillman. She brought a daughter, Marion, into the marriage. Erastus and Calphurnia had three children, Calfernie “Fern,” Florence, and Alva Erastus. Erastus and Calphurnia farmed in Clarkson and Parma, before taking over his parents’ Ridge Road Greece property in about 1869.
Erastus was more commonly known as “E.S.,” was first elected a Republican Greece Town Supervisor in 1882. Sadly, his music teacher daughter Fern died at age 23 while he was in office. He was also active with the Ridge Road Improvement Committee.
Erastus still owned 270 acres and in 1900, recently widowed, he sold most of the farm property to the Big Elm Stock Farm. He retired and went to live with his nephew, Dr. Walter Hillman, the son of Dr. Lovinus Hillman. A decade later, Walter bought the Big Elm Stock Farm and the original property was back in possession of Benedict descendants. The Benedict family had a very large agricultural footprint in Greece for over a century, until farming gave way to a progression of plazas, homes, and roadways.</p. Family & Genealogy
- Parents:
- Alva Benedict and Chloe Sherman
- Erastus Sherman Benedict (1825-1906) married his first wife, Ann Robbins, in 1850; she died the following year.
- Erastus then married Calphurnia Hillman (1820-1897), widow of a Mr. Newton and sister of noted Greece physician Dr. Lovinus Hillman. She brought a daughter, Marion, into the marriage.
- Erastus and Calphurnia had three children,
- Calfernie “Fern,”
- Florence,
- Alva Erastus.