An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 484-485

	BENJAMIN W. PETTIT, manager of the Seattle Clearing House Association, was
born at Rock Island, Illinois, February 26, 1867. His paternal ancestors were
among the early settlers of Pennsylvania, where his grandfather held a prominent
position as a civil engineer and later in Maryland, as a banker. He located the
Old Cumberland turnpike before the days of railroads, and subsequently located
the first railroad out of Baltimore, the same being among the first railroads of
the United States.
	Hon. Wm. B. Pettit, the father of our subject, was born in Cumberland,
Maryland, subsequently removing to Illinois, where he married Miss Emily Coldy.
Mr. Pettit was prominently connected with the milling interests of Rock Island,
and later entered into the grocery business in which he is now engaged. Benjamin
W. was educated in the schools of Rock island up to the age of sixteen years,
when he entered the Bryant & Stratton International Business College at
Davenport, Iowa, where, in 1884, he received his diploma and at which time he
was tendered and accepted a position with Henry Dart's Sons, wholesale grocers,
as bill clerk, and later was advanced to the position of bookkeeper, continuing
in their employ four and one-half year's.
	In November, 1889, he came to Seattle. His first employment was as
stenographer for attorney George E.M. Pratt, but in December following he
secured the position as accountant for Dexter Horton & Company, bankers, and has
continued in that position. He was married, at Rock Island, Illinois, October
14, 1891, to Miss Anna C. Kahlke, a native of New Orleans, and of German
descent. This union has been blessed with one child, Eloise Marie.
	The Seattle Clearing House Association was organized June 1, 1889, but the
first meeting was closely followed by the great fire of June 6, so that the
business of the association was not really commenced until August 26, 1889. The
original banks constituting the association were the Puget Sound National, First
National, National Bank of Commerce, Merchantsí National, Dexter Horton &
Company Guarantee Loan & Trust Company, Commercial National, Washington
National, Washington Savings, and Boston National. Since the date of
organization the following banks have joined the association: King County Bank
(now Puget Sound Savings Bank), Bank of British (Columbia, Seattle National,
North End Security Savings Bank, and the Scandinavian-American Bank. The first
officers elected were Jacob Furth, president; Abram Barker, secretary and
manager, and subsequently, in September, 1891, Mr. Pettit was elected manager.
Business was active after the fire and the clearances from August 26 to January
1, 1890, amounted to $16,579,478.85; from January 1, 1890, to January 1, 1891,
$56,753,230.09; from January 1, 1891, to January 1, 1892, $48,976,347.90; from
January 1, 1892, to January 1, 1893, $55,514,556.21. The value of the
clearing-house association in expediting business is thoroughly recognized in
the financial and commercial circles of the city.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.