Benjamin Barton

Ben Barton (June 8, 1823 – January 1, 1899), often erroneously referred to as Benjamin Barton, was a prominent landowner and white settler of the San Bernardino Valley in southern California. Educated as a medical doctor in the Eastern United States, he migrated to Southern California in 1854. A few years later, he purchased a large tract of land in Rancho San Bernardino. He served various political roles in state and local government. After retiring from his medical practice, he became a rancher and vintner, and had a large mansion built for his family. His sons also became prominent local politicians and businessmen.

After Barton's death, his land holdings were split into lots and sold for development; the area eventually became the city of Redlands. Barton built some of the earliest buildings in Redlands and neighboring San Bernardino, and his villa is now listed as a historic site. Barton was also a philanthropist and social host. He and his family were well-known and influential in the San Bernardino area during its pioneer era.

Early life and family Barton was born in South Carolina in 1823 to a family descended from European colonists of the area. Barton was able to purchase large amounts of land from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rancho San Bernardino at low prices due to Brigham Young's recalling the Mormon outpost in San Bernardino. From Charles C. Rich and Amasa Lyman, leaders of the Mormon settlement in the area, he purchased, for $5,000 (approximately $ today), of property around the San Bernardino Asistencia, land known as Old San Bernardino due to its status as a late 17th-/early 18th-century outpost of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. Barton was appointed the city's postmaster, and built a building in 1858 in San Bernardino out of adobe to house a post office, doctor's office, and pharmacy. He died in 1899. Barton and his sons' real estate holdings would come to be known as the Barton Ranch or Barton Tract, and after being subdivided and sold off into individual house lots, would eventually become the land incorporated as the city of Redlands.