Benjamin Hames
He was the younger brother of John Hames. Born in New York, he sailed to Chile, married a Chilean named Carmen Laing, and eventually hooked up with brother John in Santa Cruz County, California. Brother John is credited with founding the town of Soquel, while Benjamin founded the town of Corralitos.
Corralitos has perhaps done a better job of remembering its founder than Soquel has. At least, in Corralitos, there is still a road named after the Hames'.
Benjamin was buried in a small family cemetery on a hillside in Corralitos, and years later an apple farmer came along and plowed up all the gravesites. A few headstones and remains were removed before the plowing began, but Benjamin was not one of the fortunate ones to keep his resting place preserved. Patricia and I went down last to Corralitos last July and located the hillside where Benjamin was buried.
Two of Benjamin's daughters collaborated on a book that helped preserve some of the interesting early family history of Benjamin Hames. The text of that book is here. Also, daughter Lucretia married a fellow by the name of Isaac Mylar, who wrote a detailed account of life on the central California coast in the pioneer days. The text of that book is located here.
The children of Benjamin Hames and Carmen Laing include:
- Frances Hames, born December 3, 1848 in the City of Tome, Chile.
- Lucretia Hames, born May 15, 1851, Tome, Chile.
- Rebecca Hames, born December 9, 1854, in Oakland, California.
- Benjamin Hames, born April, 1856, Santa Cruz, California.
- George Hames, born July 28, 1861, in Corralitos, California.
- Carmen Hames, born July 31, 1866, in Corralitos, California.