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Centennial Souvenir Program, 1954 Benjamin J. Van Court was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, December 19, 1820. The ancestors of his father, Benjamin Van Court, came from Holland. His mother, Mary Lindsey, belonged to an Irish family. When 19 years old he left McVeytown, Pennsylvania and started west with his brother, Alexander. The boys built a boat, the A and B J Van Court and floated down the Ohio River. At the mouth of the Ohio they fastened their boat to the tug Smelter and had just started the tow when the boat sank taking all the goods of the two brothers with it. The brothers then went to Rock Island, Illinois where they managed the "Rock Island House." In 1841 they moved to Portsmouth, Ohio where they continued the hotel business running the "Ann House." After two years, Benjamin returned to St. Louis and with T. V. Cannon, leased the National Hotel on the corner of Third and Market, which they operated until July, 1848, when he leased the Missouri Hotel, on the corner of Main and Morgan streets. This was the hotel where the state government of Missouri was organized in August 1821. Mr. Van Court operated the Missouri Hotel until 1850, after which he engaged in the real estate business. On January 17, 1853 he married Miss Amelia Mittnacht of Baltimore. Their wedding journey was a trip to California where they remained until the spring of 1854. They returned to St. Louis and in 1856 came to O'Fallon where he purchased a farm east of town and opened a coal mine, Van Courts, which was operated for a number of years. In 1883 the family returned to St. Louis and lived at 1801 Kennett Place. Mr. Van Court died July 23, 1899, survived by his widow and three daughters; Hallie (Mrs. Edwin Poindexter); Carrie Virginia (Mrs. H. G. Finley); and Amelia M. (Mrs. D. K. Reinhold). ---83-84---
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