Syrina E Bennett with Fort Dodge Iowa imprint

Syrina E Bennett with Fort Dodge Iowa imprint

When the photographs of Syrina E Bennett and Horace J Bennett were added to the ClassyArts.com database, I speculated that they might be husband and wife, despite the fact that one card has no photographer’s imprint, but the other does (W A Culver, Fort Dodge, IA). Both photos are inscribed with the names of the subjects and the date May 27, 1873. It only took a few minutes research to find that yes, indeed they were married. With a bit of scouring the records, we found quite a bit of information on this couple.

But what about this photographer, W A Culver, listed on Syrina’s carte-de-visite (or Syrena, as she is usually listed in the records), but not on that of her husband? What’s up with that? Cards with no photographer’s imprint are often copies of earlier images — but there is no reason to think that is the case here.

The ClassyArts database shows several W Culver’s. W A Culver born about 1841 in New York seems the closest match, though he was living in Chicago in 1880. Craig’s Daguerrean Register shows a William Culver in Attica NY 1850-51, and Niagara Falls in 1859, but if the Iowa photographer is the same as the Chicago one, then he is too young to have been working in 1850. There is also William H Culver listed in the 1880 census living in Fort Benton MT, born 1854 in Michigan; and W W Culver in Lebanon NH about 1870 — but those two seem less likely matches — but not impossible, middle initials are notorious for being listed wrong in the records.

The Chicago photographer, William A Culver, is probably the same W A Culver as the Ft Dodge, Iowa photographer who took these photos in May 1873. He first appears in the Chicago city directories in the 1874-75 edition, partnered with Weible. After a short time as Culver and Weible, he appears on his own, and is listed in various directories from 1875 to 1885.

The William H Culver in Montana became a well known photographer in Lewistown, when he established his studio there from 1888 onward. His middle initial was indeed correctly listed as H.

Horace J Bennett

Horace J Bennett

Researching Syrina E Bennett and Horace J Bennett was no problem, the fairly uncommon first names make it easy. The most informative single record, is perhaps the 1900 census, since that gives the month and year of birth, rather than just the year. I also found them in the 1880 and 1910 censuses. They are also listed in the 1920 census, though no longer living in Iowa — by that time they had moved to Seattle, Washington.

Horace J Bennett was a Civil War veteran, so I found both war records and pension claims for him. Horace enlisted from Okoboji, Iowa on 12 Jul 1863 as a private, but apparently was not actually called to service until 7 Dec 1863, when he was enlisted as a private in Company I, Iowa 2nd Cavalry Regiment. He was promoted to ‘Full Bugler’ on 01 Jan 1865, which kind of suggests he was some sort of apprentice or under-bugler prior to that. He was mustered out the service on 19 Sep 1865 at Selma, AL.

On 4 Oct 1890 he made an invalid pension claim from his home in Iowa. Then on 7 Jul 1928 his widow, Syrena, made a widows pension claim. By that time she was living in Washington, as we saw in the 1920 census.

Syrena and Horace had three children, all of whom lived to adulthood: Harlan A was the eldest, born Nov 1873 (which means that at the time of this photograph, Syrena was about three months pregnant); Linton P was second, born Sep 1875, and the only daughter Jessie E was born Jun 1880. In 1900, Horace’s mother, 81 year old Sally Bennett was living with them — widow, mother of four children only one (Horace) still living.

I also found some compiled genealogies online for this family, which state they were married 18 Dec 1872 in Dickinson, IA, and showing Syrena’s maiden name was Syrena Eliza Pillsbury. Horace’s death is listed as 22 Jun 1928 in Seattle. Their son Harlan married Jane Mary Brookover, and had three children: Esther J, Elton Harlan, and Margaret. I didn’t bother to verify any of these details, they fit with what I found and I have no motive to follow the matter further — but when doing your own genealogy, always remember to verify the claims of others with original records.