Benjamin Hyde Edgerton

Benjamin Hyde Edgerton (August 17, 1811 – December 9, 1886) was an American engineer, businessman, pioneer, and politician.

Edgerton was born in Saybrook, Connecticut, near Norwich, Connecticut, on August 17, 1811[1] or near Norwich, Connecticut[2] in April 1811.[2] Edgerton studied to be a surveyor in Buffalo, New York. After moving to Green Bay, Michigan Territory, in 1835,[2] he worked for the government as a surveyor and civil engineer. While in Green Bay, Edgerton was chosen to the seventh Michigan Territorial Council (the Rump Council) in 1835 involving the western area of the Michigan Territory (present day Wisconsin and parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota) to provide for a smooth transition involving the establishment of Wisconsin Territory and the admission of the State of Michigan. He married Sophia Hosmer in 1837.[2] Later Edgerton helped survey the city blocks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin[2] and the railroads in Wisconsin. He served on the first harbor commission in Milwaukee and on the Milwaukee Common Council. He died at his home in Chicago, Illinois, on December 9, 1886.[2] His brother was Elisha W. Edgerton, a businessman and state legislator.[3][4]