1878 1
The B.W. Reagan Estate was the stately home of Benjamin Washington Reagan (c.1823-July 26, 1879), one of the owners of the prolific Silver King Mine in Arizona. The estate was later the site of the Industrial Home for the Adult Blind.
Not much has been found about the Reagans. The name is spelled Regan in some articles, and while some records like the 1870 census and the 1877 voter registration list his birthplace as Kentucky, some sources suggest he may have been born in Indiana.
In 1879, Reagan had a building constructed at 15th and Clay for the First Christian Church. 2
A few months after the church opened, Reagan and his wife were thrown from their horse carriage when the horse startled as they were leaving home. Benjamin was badly injured and died the next day. 3,4
Links and References
- Historical Atlas of Alameda County Thompson & West, 1878
- New Church Edifice Oakland Tribune April 11, 1879
- Fearful Runaway Oakland Tribune July 25, 1879
- Death of B.W. Reagan Oakland Tribune July 26, 1879
