Benjamin Franklin Leete (1831- 1927) Biography
Benjamin Franklin LEETE, the president of the Magie Salt Works and a resident
of Reno, has developed an industry of the utmost importance to Nevada
and the west, and in business circles has made for himself a prominent and
honorable place. His diligence, foresight and perseverance have been the
foundation of the gratifying prosperity which he is now enjoying, and
he belongs to that class of representative American men who, while advancing
individual success, also promote the welfare of the locality with which
they are identified.
When Nevada was still a part of the territory of Utah, Mr. Leete
located within its borders, dating his residence from 1859. He was born
in Deruyter, Madison county. New York, on the 28th of February, 1831.
and traced his ancestry in the paternal line back to William Leete, at one
time governor of the colonies of Hartford and Branford, and the progenitor
of the family in the United States.
Epaphrous Nott Leete, the father of B. F. Leete, was born in Rutland county. Vermont, on the 28th of June, 1789, and died at Lockport, New York, in 1873. at the advanced age of
eighty-four years. His mother, who in her maidenhood was Miss Polly Nott,
belonged to a well known family of Schenectady, New York.
After arriving at years of maturity Mr. E. N. Leete was united in marriage to Miss
Harriet Welthy Thompson, a resident of Deruyter. They made their home
at Lockport. New York. In early life E. N. Leete was a Democrat in his
political views and supported Jackson, but on the organization of the new
Republican party he joined its ranks, giving his allegiance to Fremont.
Lincoln and the other grand men who have been its standardbearers. In
religious faith he was a Unitarian, and his wife held membership with the
Baptist church. They were the parents of thirteen children, but only three
are living at the time of this writing, 1903, and B. F. Leete is the only one
in Nevada.
In the Empire state Mr. B. F. Leete spent the days of his boyhood and
youth, and having obtained a good literary education he then took up the
study of civil engineering, and in that capacity was employed in connection
with the construction of the New York Central Railroad. In 1858 he
took passage for California on the Moses Taylor, carrying fifteen hundred
passengers. He crossed the Isthmus of Panama and completed his journey
by steamer, arriving at San Francisco on the ist of August, 1858. The railroad
from Folsom to Maysville was then being built, and for some time he
was employed as engineer in its eonstruction. Later he went to Dayton.
Nevada. There he was engaged in the survey and construction of the
mountain wagon roads, and from Dayton he went to a district fifty miles
east of Reno, where he secured a large amount of salt lands and some salt
springs. In 1870 he began the erection of the Eagle Salt Works, which
he has since operated, having for the past thirty-three years been engaged
in the manufacture of salt. The springs from which the salt is taken are
perfectly pure, and the Eagle Salt Works turn out a practically pure product,
this salt being one and thirty-nine hundredths purer than the famous Liverpool
salt, and as there are no freight charges to be paid, the salt produced by
Mr. Leete is much cheaper for the residents of the state than- that shipped
from long distances. He manufactures salt for all the purposes for which
salt is used, and has a large •demand for his product. He also manufactures
sulphurized salt, crystalizing the sulfur into the salt, to be fed to cattle and
sheep, and it is found very effective in preventing annoying skin diseases,
such as mange in horses and cattle and scab in sheep. He has the credit
of being the first manufacturer of sulphurized salt, and has given to stock-
raisers a very valuable article. In recent years Mr. Leete incorporated the
Eagle Salt Works, his sons being his partners in the enterprise, while he is
the president and manager.
In connection with his plant Mr. Leete has built, owns and operates thirteen miles of standard gauge railroad, extending from the salt works to the Southern Pacific Railroad, which facilitates the shipment of the product of the salt works, and also provides a convenient outlet for the traffic of that section of the stae. In addition to his enterprise
here he owns mining property in Plumas and Sonoma counties in California,
and he has a comfortable residence at 41 1 Virginia street, in Reno, surrounded by flowers, shrubs and trees of his own planting.
On the 27th of November. 1861. Mr. Leete was united in marriage
to Miss Isabelle McNeal of Lockport, New York, and they now have three sons: William McNeal. Ixim at Sacramento, California, January 1, 1863; Ben McNeal. born in Dayton. Nevada, in 1867; and Xott, born in Dayton, in 1870. They are now associated with their father in business and are enterprising young men of business habits.
Mr. Léete was an active Republican until the silver question became
the dominant issue before the people of this country, when he became active
in the organization of the new silver j>arty, and is now one of its stanch
advocates. In 1856, while in L sublime degree of a Master Mason and has ever been an exemplary representative of the craft. An honored pioneer of Nevada, he has witnessed
its development from territorial days and has been deeply interested in its
welfare and progress, so directing his efforts that they have many times
been of marked value in the development and improvement of the section
of the state with which he is connected. His business career has been marked
by integrity.
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