History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Benjamin T. Frederick
BENJAMIN T. FREDERICK was born in Fredericktown, Columbiana County, Ohio, on the 5th of October, 1834. He removed to Iowa, becoming a resident of Marshalltown where he engaged in manufacturing. For a long time he was a member of the school board and also of the city council. In the fall of 1882 he was nominated by the Democrats of the Fifth District for Representative in Congress. The election was close and the certificate was awarded by the canvassers to his Republican competitor, James Wilson. But after a long contest, lasting until the last day of the second session, it was decided that Mr. Frederick had been elected in place of Wilson who had held the seat. Mr. Frederick was again nominated in 1884 and elected over Milo P. Smith. In 1886 Mr. Frederick was nominated a third time but was defeated at the election and soon after removed to California.