Benjamin Stark (June 26, 1820October 10, 1898) was an American merchant and politician in Oregon. A native of Louisiana, he purchased some of the original tracts of land for the city of Portland. He later served in the Oregon House of Representatives before appointment to the United States Senate in 1860 after the death of Edward D. Baker. A Democrat, Stark served in the Senate from 1861 to 1862. He later served in the Connecticut House of Representatives. Early life Benjamin Stark was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 26, 1820. His family moved to Connecticut where he graduated from Union School in New London after studying the classics. Stark then graduated from the Hebron Academy in Maine. From 1835 to 1845 he engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York City and read law. Oregon In 1845, he sailed to what became Portland, Oregon, as the supercargo (cargo supervisor) of the Toulon, bringing goods for Francis Pettygrove's warehouse. In 1846, he purchased half of Asa Lovejoy's making up the original claim to the future city for $390 in cash. Stark bought the land for speculation rather than as a home or commercial property, and so he continued sailing as a merchant and visited the claim only occasionally. Despite often being absent on business, Stark was a civic leader in early Portland. For example, he led the city Freemasons, membership in which was a status symbol at the time. In 1848, he sailed to San Francisco to take part in the California Gold Rush and was a merchant there from 1849 to 1850. Around the time Stark left San Francisco in 1850 to set up shop in Portland, he discovered his claim was disputed. At a meeting in San Francisco with Daniel H. Lownsdale, Stark reached a settlement with the other stakeholders which gave Stark sole title to a triangular section in what is now downtown Portland between the Willamette River, Stark Street, and Ankeny Street. In return for giving up the rest of the claim, Lownsdale, Coffin, and Chapman paid Stark for land they had already sold on his acreage, which was roughly and included most of what was then downtown. Later, another dispute between the parties arose after Stark refused to part with two narrow blocks needed to connect the park blocks. Political career He was admitted to the bar that same year and in 1852 became a