Wilhelm Benitz

Oakland to Argentina, 1874

- As Reported -

(Last updated: Friday January 27, 2012)

    Published from 1861 to 1959, The Standard was for a long time the senior English-language newspaper in Buenos Aires.  The other English-language newspaper was and is The Buenos Aires Herald - founded in 1876, it is still published daily today.

 Arrival in Argentina:

(source: Javier L. Maffucci Moore, April 2004)

The Standard, October 21st, 1874

"The largest capitalist in the way of an agricultural settler that has as yet alighted on the shores of the Plate has just arrived. Mr. William Benitez is an old Californian colonist and he has come out here with a family of twelve persons, and a capital of 80,000 patacones. Mr. Wilcken has recommended him to settle down in the Santa Fe colonies, which, we believe, he intends doing, and we shall, doubtless, soon hear of scientific farming on a large scale up there. Won't our friend Mr. William Perkins be right glad to see Mr. Benitez? to whom we wish every success in his new home" [WebNote: Patacon was slang for Peso Duro, 80,000 patacones is today approx. 2,130,000 $US-2000]

The Standard, October 22nd, 1874

"We had a visit today from Mr. Benitez, the rich Californian, who comes with a large capital to settle in the Plate, he proposes making a trip to the Californian Colony in the Gran Chaco, and having a good look round before settling down"

The Standard, October 28th, 1874

Rosario, October 27th, 1874

 "....Mr. Benitez, the Californian gentleman whose arrival you mentioned in The Standard, has paid us a visit and has already inspected part of the railway lands. He has returned to Buenos Ayres for his family. He appears to be favourably impressed with the province of Santa Fe as far as he has seen it..."

William Perkins