Benjamin Franklin Fridge was born February 24, 1856 to John D. and Adeline (Wolff) Fridge. On July 24, 1878 he married Mary P. Greenwell and the couple had two children. After her death in 1884 he married Allice P. Steadman on March 4, 1885. Benjamin grew up in Louisiana but moved to Ellisville, Mississippi in 1895. In Ellisville he made several successful capitalistic ventures into real estate and sawmills. He also organized the Merchants and Manufacturers bank of Ellisville, the Tallahala Lumber Company, and the Lowery Lumber Company. Benjamin was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World and the Knights of Pythias. He died on January 7, 1936.
The Fridge Collection contains letters between Progressive Party leaders and Benjamin F. Fridge in relation to his trip to speak at the Progressive Convention between July 2-3, 1913. The collection also contains his speech at the convention and newspaper clippings from August, 1912.
