Captain William Benson
Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Maryland native William Benson (b. 1837) came to Texas after graduating from college as a civil engineer. After settling in Brazoria County he became a teacher. During the Civil War he commanded a cavalry regiment as one of the youngest captains in the Confederacy. Benson later came to Uvalde, where he again taught school. About 1874 he and his wife, Felicia (Yeiser), moved to this site and lived in a log house until this residence was completed about 1881. A leader in early irrigation projects, Benson continued to serve the community until his death in 1922. 1983
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Maryland native William Benson trained as a civil engineer, then turned to teaching after settling in Brazoria County. During the Civil War he commanded a cavalry regiment as one of the youngest captains in the Confederacy before moving west to Uvalde, where he again took up the schoolroom. Around 1874 he and his wife Felicia settled on this site, living in a log house until their permanent home was finished about 1881, and Benson became a leader in the region's early irrigation efforts until his death in 1922.
Why it matters
Benson's life joins Confederate service, frontier education, and pioneering irrigation — the practical engineering that made settlement and agriculture possible in arid West Texas.
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Related people
- · William Benson
- · Felicia Yeiser Benson
Themes & tags
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