Carey, Charles Henry.  "History of Oregon." Vol. 3. Chicago-Portland: Pioneer
Historical Pub. Co., 1922.  pp. 212-3.

BENNETT BROTHERS

The firm of Bennett Brothers, consisting of Ralph B. and Leigh S. Bennett,
conducts a garage and automobile agency on the Columbia River highway in the
city of Hood River and is among the leaders of that industry in the Hood River
valley. Their parents were Daniel S. and Sarah (Blackhurst) Bennett, at one time
residents of Oneida county, New York, where the two sons were born. Ralph
Blackhurst was born in 1883, while the birth of Leigh Smith Bennett occurred in
1885. The family was an old one in the state of New York and came of the same
ancestral stock as Commodore Perry. The representatives of the family had been
farmers in the Empire state for many generations. The Blackhurst family was also
an old one in America, being descended from James Blackhurst, a native of
England, who came to the new world about the time of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.

Ralph Blackhurst Bennett was educated in the graded and high schools of
Waterville, New York, and in Yale University, from which he was graduated in
1906 with the Bachelor of Arts degree. He spent the year following his
graduation in tutoring and then took up newspaper work as a profession,
accepting a position on the Utica Daily Press. He remained with that paper for
two years and then accepted an offer as editor of the Connecticut Western News,
with which he was thus associated for a year. Attracted by the opportunities of
the new and growing west he left New England and made his way to Oregon, where
he become a reporter and later a telegraph editor with the Portland Telegram.
After two years' connection with that paper he and his brother Leigh purchased
the Ashland Tidings which they published for a year. At length they sold the
Tidings and removed to Hood River, becoming owners of the Hood River News,
conducting It for eight years. The participation of America in the World war
brought about the sale of the News and Ralph B. Bennett tendered his services to
his country and entered the officers' training camp at Eugene, Oregon. He was
ordered from there to Camp McArthur in Texas and was still in training when the
armistice was signed. Returning to Hood River, in association with his brother
he established the Bennett Brothers Garage and they have since conducted a
gratifying and growing business.

Ralph B. Bennett was married in 1919 to Miss Anne Helen Johnson of Seattle,
Washington, and they are widely and favorably known at Hood River. Mr. Bennett
is a member of the Oregon Editorial Association, also of the Hood River
Commercial Club. He is a Mason and also a Knight of Pythias and his religious
faith is indicated in the fact that he is now serving as vestryman of St. Mark's
Episcopal church.

Leigh Smith Bennett was educated in the graded and high schools of Waterville
and in the Eastman Business College of New York. Through the succeeding six
years following his graduation he was employed as an accountant in New York and
then removed to Portland, Oregon, where he engaged in the printing business. On
selling his print shop he became associated with his brother Ralph in the
purchase of the Ashland Tidings and was business manager of that publication and
of the Hood River News. After the close of the World war he and his brother
established the garage which they still own and which is accorded a liberal
patronage. Theirs is one of the largest and best equipped garages on the
Columbia River highway. It is a concrete structure with a floor space of thirty
thousand square feet, divided into office, salesroom, accessory department,
storage and repair shop. The firm acts as agent for the Dodge Brothers and
Chandler cars and the garage is a Dodge Brothers service station. The firm is
also agent for the John Deere farm implements and carries a full line of orchard
supplies, including the Hardie sprayer.

In 1919 Leigh S. Bennett was married to Miss Sadie Noyes of Portland, a
descendant of one of the pioneer families of Oregon, her father having been for
many years captain of river boats and widely known as a highly respected citizen
of this part of the state. No young men in the Hood River valley are more highly
respected in business and social circles than Ralph B. and Leigh Smith Bennett.


******************* 

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.