ABOUT BENJAMIN HERSHEY
Entrepreneur and who was widely known as a farming magnate in Iowa and Nebraska. He founded the Hershey lumber business. He was a distant cousin of Milton S. Hershey, founder of The Hershey Company.
As a teenager, he traveled through the west for three months, largely on horseback.
In May 1853, he rented a small sawmill in South Muscatine, Iowa. He eventually purchased and operated it.
His wife was Elizabeth Hershey. They had four children named Sarah, Mary Amanda, Elizabeth and Almira.
His daughter Almira bought the Hollywood Hotel in 1906. It became known for its many movie star guests, including Ethel Barrymore , Norma Shearer and Rudolph Valentino , who lived in room 264.
