Benjamin Franklin Washington

Benjamin Franklin Washington (April 7, 1820 – January 22, 1872) was born on April 7, 1820, at "Berry Hill," later known as "Cedar Lawn" plantation, near Charles Town, Virginia (now West Virginia). He was the fifth child and third son of John Thornton Augustine Washington and Elizabeth Conrad Bedinger. His great-grandfather, Samuel Washington, was a younger brother of George Washington, establishing a familial connection to the first U.S. President.

On October 22, 1845, Washington married Georgianna Hite Ransom in Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia). He pursued legal studies before relocating to California in 1849 to participate in the Gold Rush. In California, he served as the president of the Charlestown Company. Subsequently, he engaged in journalism, serving as coeditor of the Sacramento Democratic State Journal alongside Vincent Geiger.

In October 1863, Washington contributed to the establishment of the Democratic Press in San Francisco. By June 1865, this publication was renamed the Evening Examiner. William S. Moss acted as publisher, and Washington served as editor. The paper was owned for several years by William S. Moss, Phil Roach, and George Pen Johnston. Prior to its acquisition by Senator William Randolph Hearst in the 1880s, the publication was characterized as a "highly chaste and non-sensation journal." After Hearst's death, the paper was inherited by his son, William R. Hearst.

Benjamin Franklin Washington died on January 22, 1872, in San Francisco, California. His granddaughter, Frances W. Delehanty, was known for her work as an artist and illustrator, and as the founder of an abbey in Connecticut.

In his personal life, Washington was involved in a duel with C. A. Washburn, the editor of the San Francisco Herald. The duel was prompted by articles printed in the Herald. Washington, working for the Times and Transcript at the time, challenged Washburn to the duel. During the confrontation, Washington’s initial shot passed through the rim of Washburn's hat, and his third shot struck Washburn in the shoulder, at which point the duel concluded. The incident reflects the period's sometimes-violent journalistic disputes.