Benton Obelisk - St. Louis, Missouri - Obelisks on Waymarking.com

Thomas Hart Bent was born on March 14, 1782 near Harts Mill, North Carolina. As a young adult he moved to central Tennessee where he became friends with Andrew Jackson. There he continued his education and was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1805 and served as a Tennessee State Senator in 1809. During the war of 1812, Benton became the aide-de-camp to General Jackson and was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel. After the War of 1812, Benton moved to Missouri where he continued to practice law and became active in politics. Benton was a staunch supporter of westward expansion. He originally considered the westward boundary of the United State to be the Rocky Mountains but he expanded his view and support to include the Pacific Ocean. This cause of westward expansion became known as “Manifest Destiny.” Senator Benton was also instrumental in the United States being the sole administrator of the Oregon Territory and supported the current border at the at the 49th parallel and opposed the “Fifty-Four forty of Fight” movement. After serving 5-terms, Benton was denied a sixth term by the Missouri Legislature. In 1852 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives and opposed the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and was defeated in 1854. Thomas Hart Benton died on April 10, 1858 in Washington D. C. His body was returned to Missouri and he was buried in the Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.

Date Created/Placed: 1902 Address: Bellefontaine Cemetery 4947 West Florissant Avenue St Louis, MO‎ 63115 Height: 20-Feet Illuminated: no Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/02/2012 frog1962 visited it