"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Chapman 
Publishing Company, 1903. p. 743.

FRED BENTS

     One of three brothers who have made a signal success in the cultivation of
hops in the state of Oregon is Fred Bents, whose birth occurred in Platte
county, Kans., April 13, 1855.  His parents were natives of Switzerland, his
father, Henry, being born on a farm in that country, where he was reared, and in
manhood married Anna Bosshard, with whom he emigrated to the United States in
1854.  The journey was not an uneventful one to this young Swiss family, their
first venture into the world being shadowed by a perilous sea-voyage, the
sailing vessel on which they came springing a leak in mid ocean; and the sad
death of their first child, which occurred upon the trip.  Six weeks from the
date of sailing the vessel anchored in New York harbor, but the young people
were not satisfied to make this their home, having heard many glowing accounts
of the rich farming lands of the Mississippi valley, and toward that location
they continued their journey.
     Settling in the eastern part of Kansas, Mr. Bents took up a homestead,
where he remained farming until 1863, at that time losing his home and all the
improvements which he had put upon it through a defective title.  Nothing
daunted by the misfortunes which had attended him he decided to seek a home
still farther in the west, starting in this last-named year for Oregon, with
four oxen drawing the wagon which contained his worldly possessions.  Six months
later the little party reaches their destination, settling first in Marion
county on the claim of Barney Eberhard, where they remained until 1864, when Mr.
Bents bought the farm of three hundred acres which is now in the hands of his
children.  he paid but $500 for the entire tract, which at that time was a
wilderness of brush and timber.  He bought the land of John Scheurer, giving him
$100 for the first payment, in addition to the remaining ox of the four with
which he had commenced the journey.  In later days Mr. Scheurer proved a
valuable friend to this pioneer family, assisting the father in many ways to
gain a competency for his family.  Upon his farm Mr. Bents at once built a cabin
of hewed logs, which consisted of two rooms, the entire building being only 16 x
16 feet, and in this the  family found shelter for many years, going out from
this humble home each morning with the pioneer's determination to win an
honorable place in this new state.  Mr. Bents died June 20, 1869, at the early
age of forty years, a successful man, financially and socially, and his death
meant a personal loss to the community.  His wife survived him many years, her
death occurring February 20, 1890, at the age of sixty-four years.  They were
both consistent members of the Lutheran Church.  Of their children all but one
were born in the United States, those living being as follows:  Fred, of this
review; Edward, located in Salem; William, a farmer and hop-grower on a part of
the home farm; and Henry L., also on a part of the home farm.
     On the death of his father, Fred Bents, the oldest of the sons and then
only fifteen years of age, took entire charge of the farm, which he conducted
with remarkable skill until 1881, when he left the conservative lines of the
general farmer and undertook the cultivation of a five-acre field of hops.
Meeting with gratifying success he gradually increased the number of acres
until, with the interests of his two brothers, William and Henry L., he has
nearly seventy acres devoted to its cultivation.  In 1902 he alone raised
twenty-seven thousand, four hundred and fifty-three pounds of hops.  In
partnership with these same brothers Fred Bents owns the original three hundred
acres purchased by their father, and upon his share of the same in 1887 he put
some handsome improvements in the line of buildings, etc., and moved to the
present location of his home.  He has a finely improved farm one and one-half
miles from Butteville, Marion county.
     The marriage of Mr. Bents occurred April 3, 1885, and united him with
Minnie Byland, a native of Linn county, Ore.  Four children have been born of
this union, named as follows:  Mary, William, Clarence and Hattie.
     In politics Mr. Bents is a Republican.  Fraternally he is a member of
Champoeg Lodge No. 27, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and of the United
Artisans.  He is known as one of the liberal-minded, progressive citizens of the
county, and actively interested in promoting its welfare whenever the
opportunity to do so presents itself.
     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2006 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.