Louisa was the daughter of Brigadier General Neal Dow and Marie Cornelia Durant Maynard.
On Dec 3, 1860 in Portland, ME she married Jacob Dow, son of Samuel Slade Benton and Esther Prouty.
It does not appear they had any children.
In the Civil War her husband was a Brigadier General in command of New Hampshire State Volunteers. Following the war he was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first US Congress. He declined a nomination for a third term and resumed his law practice.
Her father was also a Brigadier General in the Civil War and was a prisoner for 10 months in Richmond's Libby Prison before being exchanged for Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee's son. He is best known for drafting and advocating for the “Maine Law,” the first alcohol prohibition law, passed in 1851. He was Mayor of Portland in 1851 and 1855, and a member of Maine House of Representatives, 1858-1859. Her family home in Portland, ME is a National Historic Landmark.
In 1883-1884 her Ladies Maid was Caroline L. McFarland from Stark, NH, who became Flossie LaBlanche, world's strong woman in the circus world. Louisa, was very kind to Caroline and being very muscular herself, strongly encouraged Caroline in her exercises which she had been working on since 9 years old and she fell in love with the circus. By 1890, between her own hard work and encouragement she had gotten from Louisa, she did join the circus and traveled the world.
Louisa's husband, Jacob, died on Sep 29, 1892 in Lancaster.
Age: 64yrs 8mos 15dys
Cause of Death: Septic Peritonitis - Shock
From Woman of the Century/Louisa Dow Benton:
BENTON, Mrs. Louisa Dow, linguist, born in Portland. Maine, 23rd March, 1831. She is the daughter of Neal Dow and Cornelia Durant Maynard. She was educated in the best schools of her native city, the last and chief of which was the Free Street Seminary for young ladies, Master Hezekiah Packard, teacher. She had, besides these, teachers in French. On 12th December, 1860, she was married to Jacob Benton, of Lancaster, N. H. She passed four seasons in Washington, D. C., while Mr. Benton was member of Congress. She was physically as well as intellectually strong and active. In the fall of 1887 she contracted rheumatism, of which she thought little at first, but it soon assumed a serious form, when most energetic measures were adopted to throw it off, but all in vain. She went several times to mineral springs in Canada, and to Hot Springs in Arkansas, but derived no benefit from any of them. At last she could not walk nor even stand, and was confined to her chair, w here she passed the time away with books, pen, drawing and painting. But her hands and arms were so greatly and increasingly affected by the disease that drawing and painting were soon given up, and she devoted herself to the acquisition of languages, a study which was always especially attractive to her. She learned to read freely Italian, Spanish, German, Greek and Russian, all with no teacher except for Greek. After that she took up the Votapuk and mastered it easily. She is so well known as a Volapuk scholar that correspondence has come to her from several prominent linguists in Europe, and several European Volapuk associations have elected her corresponding member. During her pains and aches from the disease, she has always been cheerful, never discouraged.
Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101)
On Dec 3, 1860 in Portland, ME she married Jacob Dow, son of Samuel Slade Benton and Esther Prouty.
It does not appear they had any children.
In the Civil War her husband was a Brigadier General in command of New Hampshire State Volunteers. Following the war he was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first US Congress. He declined a nomination for a third term and resumed his law practice.
Her father was also a Brigadier General in the Civil War and was a prisoner for 10 months in Richmond's Libby Prison before being exchanged for Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee's son. He is best known for drafting and advocating for the “Maine Law,” the first alcohol prohibition law, passed in 1851. He was Mayor of Portland in 1851 and 1855, and a member of Maine House of Representatives, 1858-1859. Her family home in Portland, ME is a National Historic Landmark.
In 1883-1884 her Ladies Maid was Caroline L. McFarland from Stark, NH, who became Flossie LaBlanche, world's strong woman in the circus world. Louisa, was very kind to Caroline and being very muscular herself, strongly encouraged Caroline in her exercises which she had been working on since 9 years old and she fell in love with the circus. By 1890, between her own hard work and encouragement she had gotten from Louisa, she did join the circus and traveled the world.
Louisa's husband, Jacob, died on Sep 29, 1892 in Lancaster.
Age: 64yrs 8mos 15dys
Cause of Death: Septic Peritonitis - Shock
From Woman of the Century/Louisa Dow Benton:
BENTON, Mrs. Louisa Dow, linguist, born in Portland. Maine, 23rd March, 1831. She is the daughter of Neal Dow and Cornelia Durant Maynard. She was educated in the best schools of her native city, the last and chief of which was the Free Street Seminary for young ladies, Master Hezekiah Packard, teacher. She had, besides these, teachers in French. On 12th December, 1860, she was married to Jacob Benton, of Lancaster, N. H. She passed four seasons in Washington, D. C., while Mr. Benton was member of Congress. She was physically as well as intellectually strong and active. In the fall of 1887 she contracted rheumatism, of which she thought little at first, but it soon assumed a serious form, when most energetic measures were adopted to throw it off, but all in vain. She went several times to mineral springs in Canada, and to Hot Springs in Arkansas, but derived no benefit from any of them. At last she could not walk nor even stand, and was confined to her chair, w here she passed the time away with books, pen, drawing and painting. But her hands and arms were so greatly and increasingly affected by the disease that drawing and painting were soon given up, and she devoted herself to the acquisition of languages, a study which was always especially attractive to her. She learned to read freely Italian, Spanish, German, Greek and Russian, all with no teacher except for Greek. After that she took up the Votapuk and mastered it easily. She is so well known as a Volapuk scholar that correspondence has come to her from several prominent linguists in Europe, and several European Volapuk associations have elected her corresponding member. During her pains and aches from the disease, she has always been cheerful, never discouraged.
Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101)
Louisa was the daughter of Brigadier General Neal Dow and Marie Cornelia Durant Maynard.
On Dec 3, 1860 in Portland, ME she married Jacob Dow, son of Samuel Slade Benton and Esther Prouty.
It does not appear they had any children.
In the Civil War her husband was a Brigadier General in command of New Hampshire State Volunteers. Following the war he was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first US Congress. He declined a nomination for a third term and resumed his law practice.
Her father was also a Brigadier General in the Civil War and was a prisoner for 10 months in Richmond's Libby Prison before being exchanged for Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee's son. He is best known for drafting and advocating for the “Maine Law,” the first alcohol prohibition law, passed in 1851. He was Mayor of Portland in 1851 and 1855, and a member of Maine House of Representatives, 1858-1859. Her family home in Portland, ME is a National Historic Landmark.
In 1883-1884 her Ladies Maid was Caroline L. McFarland from Stark, NH, who became Flossie LaBlanche, world's strong woman in the circus world. Louisa, was very kind to Caroline and being very muscular herself, strongly encouraged Caroline in her exercises which she had been working on since 9 years old and she fell in love with the circus. By 1890, between her own hard work and encouragement she had gotten from Louisa, she did join the circus and traveled the world.
Louisa's husband, Jacob, died on Sep 29, 1892 in Lancaster.
Age: 64yrs 8mos 15dys
Cause of Death: Septic Peritonitis - Shock
From Woman of the Century/Louisa Dow Benton:
BENTON, Mrs. Louisa Dow, linguist, born in Portland. Maine, 23rd March, 1831. She is the daughter of Neal Dow and Cornelia Durant Maynard. She was educated in the best schools of her native city, the last and chief of which was the Free Street Seminary for young ladies, Master Hezekiah Packard, teacher. She had, besides these, teachers in French. On 12th December, 1860, she was married to Jacob Benton, of Lancaster, N. H. She passed four seasons in Washington, D. C., while Mr. Benton was member of Congress. She was physically as well as intellectually strong and active. In the fall of 1887 she contracted rheumatism, of which she thought little at first, but it soon assumed a serious form, when most energetic measures were adopted to throw it off, but all in vain. She went several times to mineral springs in Canada, and to Hot Springs in Arkansas, but derived no benefit from any of them. At last she could not walk nor even stand, and was confined to her chair, w here she passed the time away with books, pen, drawing and painting. But her hands and arms were so greatly and increasingly affected by the disease that drawing and painting were soon given up, and she devoted herself to the acquisition of languages, a study which was always especially attractive to her. She learned to read freely Italian, Spanish, German, Greek and Russian, all with no teacher except for Greek. After that she took up the Votapuk and mastered it easily. She is so well known as a Volapuk scholar that correspondence has come to her from several prominent linguists in Europe, and several European Volapuk associations have elected her corresponding member. During her pains and aches from the disease, she has always been cheerful, never discouraged.
Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101)
On Dec 3, 1860 in Portland, ME she married Jacob Dow, son of Samuel Slade Benton and Esther Prouty.
It does not appear they had any children.
In the Civil War her husband was a Brigadier General in command of New Hampshire State Volunteers. Following the war he was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first US Congress. He declined a nomination for a third term and resumed his law practice.
Her father was also a Brigadier General in the Civil War and was a prisoner for 10 months in Richmond's Libby Prison before being exchanged for Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee's son. He is best known for drafting and advocating for the “Maine Law,” the first alcohol prohibition law, passed in 1851. He was Mayor of Portland in 1851 and 1855, and a member of Maine House of Representatives, 1858-1859. Her family home in Portland, ME is a National Historic Landmark.
In 1883-1884 her Ladies Maid was Caroline L. McFarland from Stark, NH, who became Flossie LaBlanche, world's strong woman in the circus world. Louisa, was very kind to Caroline and being very muscular herself, strongly encouraged Caroline in her exercises which she had been working on since 9 years old and she fell in love with the circus. By 1890, between her own hard work and encouragement she had gotten from Louisa, she did join the circus and traveled the world.
Louisa's husband, Jacob, died on Sep 29, 1892 in Lancaster.
Age: 64yrs 8mos 15dys
Cause of Death: Septic Peritonitis - Shock
From Woman of the Century/Louisa Dow Benton:
BENTON, Mrs. Louisa Dow, linguist, born in Portland. Maine, 23rd March, 1831. She is the daughter of Neal Dow and Cornelia Durant Maynard. She was educated in the best schools of her native city, the last and chief of which was the Free Street Seminary for young ladies, Master Hezekiah Packard, teacher. She had, besides these, teachers in French. On 12th December, 1860, she was married to Jacob Benton, of Lancaster, N. H. She passed four seasons in Washington, D. C., while Mr. Benton was member of Congress. She was physically as well as intellectually strong and active. In the fall of 1887 she contracted rheumatism, of which she thought little at first, but it soon assumed a serious form, when most energetic measures were adopted to throw it off, but all in vain. She went several times to mineral springs in Canada, and to Hot Springs in Arkansas, but derived no benefit from any of them. At last she could not walk nor even stand, and was confined to her chair, w here she passed the time away with books, pen, drawing and painting. But her hands and arms were so greatly and increasingly affected by the disease that drawing and painting were soon given up, and she devoted herself to the acquisition of languages, a study which was always especially attractive to her. She learned to read freely Italian, Spanish, German, Greek and Russian, all with no teacher except for Greek. After that she took up the Votapuk and mastered it easily. She is so well known as a Volapuk scholar that correspondence has come to her from several prominent linguists in Europe, and several European Volapuk associations have elected her corresponding member. During her pains and aches from the disease, she has always been cheerful, never discouraged.
Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101)
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