Benjamin Hershey was a lumber and farming magnate in Iowa and Nebraska during the middle to late 19th century.

He was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...

, a distant cousin of Milton S. Hershey

Milton S. Hershey

Milton Snavely Hershey was an American confectioner, philanthropist, and founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company and the "company town" of Hershey, Pennsylvania....

, founder of The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...

. Their common ancestor was Christian Hershe (Hershey), who was born about 1664 in Bern, Switzerland, and died about 1720 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Benjamin Hershey had four children: Sarah; Mary; Elizabeth; and Almira

Almira Hershey

Almira Hershey was a Hollywood hotel proprietor and property developer.-Early life:Almira, better known as Mira, was the fourth and youngest daughter of Benjamin Hershey , a lumber and farming magnate....

, who went on to become a prominent citizen of Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 and owner of the Hollywood Hotel

Hollywood Hotel

The Hollywood Hotel was a famous hostelry and landmark located on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard between Highland and Orchid Avenues in Hollywood, California.-History:The first section of the hotel was built in 1902 by H.J...

. He died in Muscatine County, Iowa

Muscatine County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 42,745 in the county, with a population density of . There were 17,910 housing units, of which 16,412 were occupied.-2000 census:...

.