Benjamin Edward DuPont

Benjamin Edward DuPont was born 25 Dec 1825, died 26 Jan 1911, buried DuPont Cemetery in the Hammock, Flagler CO, FL son of Abraham DuPont and Jane Verdier Pepper.

He received the plantation on the east side of the Matanzas River in his father's will. He joined the Confederate Army and served during the War Between the States.

The Register of Deceased Veterans (on file in the Holden House, Bunnell, FL) shows that he was a private, in Company H, 2nd FL Inf. He enlisted in Company H, 2nd Infantry Regiment Florida on 13 Jul 1861 and was discharged from Company H, 2nd Infantry Regiment Florida on 11 Apr 1863. He then enlisted in Company G, 9th Infantry Regiment Florida on 25 Aug 1863 and transferred out of that company on 01 Dec 1863. He then transferred into Company H, 5th Battn Cavalry Regiment Florida on 01 Dec 1863.

Recollections of Summer Haven
A Letter from Jessie Harrison (Butron) Collette to her daughter
April 1960 (On file in the St. Augustine Library)

A little south of where Marineland is located what was the Dupont family home. Old Mr. Dupont was Uncle Ben to most of us children. He would bring us pomegranates about once a week and was a very aristocratic and intellectual gentleman. His wife (it was his second marriage) was from Savannah and a former school teacher.

The two older children were Charlie's, who was a good politician and represented St Johns County at Tallahassee for some time, and Miss Carrie, who was a school teacher but married soon after I first remember her. She had a boy who would be somewhere in his later sixties now, and she lived in Jacksonville.

Then there were Fred, John, George, Julian and two girls. Mary sometimes lives at Summer Haven, or so I have been told. I don't remember the other girl at all, but George and Julian were near my age, and I know them quite well.

About a mile south of the Dupont's was the Washington place. I have heard that a Mrs. Owen D Young now owns it and that it is called Washington Oaks. I can just remember the older Mr. Washington, who was a great-nephew of George Washington, much "removed," and I do recall going there to play with his little grandchildren. It seems to me that there were two little girls. Their father was some kind of government official sent to Cuba from Washington, and the mother was Spanish.

He married 02 Aug 1859 Sallie Wilmington Jones. She died 31 Mar 1868. Issue;

1. Charles Jones DuPont, born 11 Sept 1860, died 31 Mar 1914, buried Dupont Cemetery, Flagler CO, FL, married 28 Dec 1904 Susan E. Wilson. He was the first teacher in the log school built by Johnston, Miller and Hunter in about the center of present Flagler County.

2. Augustno Belmont DuPont, born 03 Dec 1863, died 07 Aug 1864

3. Florence Estelle DuPont, born 19 Feb 1868, died 01 Aug 1868

Benjamin Edward DuPont married 2nd, 05 Dec 1871 Camden, S.C. to Caroline Octavia Kisselstine, dau of Gen Frederick Von Kisselstine, who came to the United States Diplomatic Service when Caroline was six years of age, born 10 Feb 1848, Saxony, Germany, died 23 July 1930, FL, buried Dupont Cemetery, Flagler CO, FL.

According to records in the Historical Society Library in St. Augustine, after both parents died, she became the charge of Senator Chestnut of SC. Issue;

4. Mary Lenthall DuPont, born 19 Dec 1872, FL

5. Caroline Kisselstein (Carrie) DuPont, born 12 Jan 1875, died 14 Jan 1937, married 14 Feb 1895, Henry Garland Hopkins, born 10 Sep 1873, FL, died 1942, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. Issue;

(1) Henry Garland Hopkins, born 05 Jul 1896, FL

(2) Marion Francis Hopkins, born 18 Jun 1901, FL

(3) Frederick Dupont Hopkins, born 08 Jul 1903, FL, died 25 Nov 1974, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

(4) Evelyn Shirley Hopkins, born 14 Jan 1907, FL

(5) Caroline May (Rossie) Hopkins, born 15 Nov 1908, FL

6. Benjamin Frederick DuPont, born 10 Dec 1876, FL, died 23 Jun 1951, Clay CO, FL, married 31 Oct 1911, Estelle La Boiteaux, born about 1874, died 1952, Clay CO, FL. Both buried Pinewood Cemetery, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL

THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, September 4, 1924

B F Dupont, one of the prominent dredge men of Miami, was a guest at the Southland Hotel, Sunday. He met many old friends and relatives whom he had not seen for many years.

Mr. Dupont is at present dredging at Fisher's Beach, near Miami and is one the successful men who have helped in developing south Florida.

About eighteen years ago he was given the contract for dredging the Florida East Coast Canal from New Smyrna north to the Matanzas Inlet. Becoming reminiscent, Mr. Dupont recalled many interesting incidents relative to this section of Florida at that period. How the dredging party had unearthed old Indian canoes, which had been buried by the Seminoles, to be dug up on their return later, but were never recovered since about that time they were killed or driven further south to Lake Okeechobee. One of these canoes was found intact and was to have been sent to the museum at St Augustine by Mrs. Dupont, on being exposed to the air it fell to pieces.

It was an uncle of Mr. Dupont who withstood and Indian attack at the old family home on the west bank of the canal and who killed while driving the enemy away. His father, however, made his way to St Augustine for troops, thereby keeping the Seminole tribe from going further north than their homestead.

The visitor, who owns considerable property south of Summer Haven, became an interested subscriber to The Tribune so as to keep informed of the rapid development in this locality, for it is his intention to renew his interests here.

7. Ellen Moore DuPont, born 20 Nov 1878, DL, died 09 Mar 1904, FL

8. John Lenthall DuPont, born 25 Dec 1881, St Johns CO, FL, died 30 Oct 1972, Dupont Estates, Marineland, Flagler CO, FL, married 22 Sept 1909, Sadie Maria Mickler, dau of Robert John Mickler and Florida Lillian Powers.

John L DuPont married 2nd, 16 Sept 1922, Rosemary Baretey, born 12 Nov 1880, FL, died 31 Mar 1970, Marineland, Flagler CO, FL. Both buried Hope, now Flagler Palm Memorial Gardens, Flagler CO, FL.

In Oct 1935 he dug into some of the mounds on his property and found human bones. He said the mound was built in tiers and that the skeletons were buried in circles with the heads always being turned toward the center of the mound.

He sold the John Dupont Estates, 12 miles north of Flagler Beach, FL and 1 mile south of Marineland in Sep 1947 to James L Taylor of Sea Island, GA for $51,975.

The tact comprised about 200 acres of virgin forest extending from the rocky coast line on the Atlantic Ocean to the Matanzas river through which runs the intra coastal waterway.

The property was an old Spanish granted presented by the King of Spain to Abraham Dupont, grandfather of John Dupont in 1817. His and the graves of his followers who were killed by Indians, are marked by the original monuments on the Dupont property.

John and his wife had lived on the banks of the Matanzas since 1924 and retained a small portion of land where their cottage was located.

9. George Elbert DuPont, born 17 Sept 1884, died 21 Mar 1943, buried DuPont Cemetery, Flagler CO, FL, married 05 Mar 1916 Hulda Clarice Kumlander, born 28 May 1887, NY, 12 Apr 1976, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. According to census records, her father was born in Sweden and her mother was born in Finland. Issue;

A. George Elbert DuPont Jr, born 23 Jul 1918, LA, died 11 Nov 1965, buried Dupont Cemetery, Flagler CO, FL

10. Julian Kanfield DuPont, born 23 Jul 1887, FL, married 27 Feb 1912, Marie Helen Rewand, born about 1894, Canada. He was a yacht captain. Issue;

A. Helen Marie DuPont, born 23 Apr 1913, FL

B. Bernard Julian DuPont, born 14 Oct 1914, FL, died 21 Mar 1989, Dade CO, FL

Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who cited as her sources, Published Articles, Family Records and Melinda DuPont Clemons.

Additional sources used by the compiler not cited in the text above were: 1880 United States Federal Census, Precinct 8, Saint Johns, Florida; 1900 United States Federal Census, Jacksonville, Duval, Florida; 1910 United States Federal Census, Jacksonville Ward 6, Duval, Florida; 1910 United States Federal Census, St Augustine Ward 1, St Johns, Florida; 1920 United States Federal Census, Miami, Dade, Florida; 1920 United States Federal Census, Jacksonville Ward 6, Duval, Florida; 1920 United States Federal Census, New Orleans Ward 9, Orleans, Louisiana; 1930 United States Federal Census, Miami, Dade, Florida;1930 United States Federal Census, Precinct 2, Harris, Texas; World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918; WWI Civilian Draft Registrations; Social Security Death Index; Florida Death Index, 1877-1998; H. A. Du Pont, Early Generations of the Du Pont and Allied Families, The, New York, National Americana Society, Vol 1; Abraham DuPont, Jr Family Information posted on ancestry.com and personal knowledge.

Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com