From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, pages 582-583.
Brant & Fuller, 1890.


BENJAMIN W. ALLEN

Benjamin W. Allen was born in Preston county, Va., in 1824.  After 
several years of preparatory study in the academy at Morgantown, he 
entered Washington college, Penn., from which he graduated in 1844. 
He then took a four years' course of study in the medical deparment 
of the university of Virginia, graduating in 1848. This was followed 
by a course of lectures at the Jefferson Medical college, 
Philadelphia.  In 1852 he married Miss McCoy, of Warrenton, Va., and 
the same year was appointed demonstrator of anatomy at the University 
of Virginia, which position he filled with ability until the opening 
of the civil war, when he entered the confederate army as a surgeon, 
and rendered valuable service.  In 1862 he lost his wife, a lady of 
great culture.  After the war he located in Wheeling, where, in 1872, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Jeffers, a sister of Judge George 
Jeffer. Here he practiced medicine with a fair degree of success, his 
abiity as a surgeon being especially recognized.  In 1882, he was 
called to fill the chair of anatomy, physiology and hygiene in the 
state university, at Morgantown.  For this position he was peculiarly 
well fitted by habits of thought and early studies and experience.  
His knowledge was accurate and comprehensive, his experience ripe, 
his skill well-proved.  He was an expert microscopist, and his 
knowledge of anatomy was doubtless superior to that of any physician 
in the state.  He found in the study of medicine even more than in 
its practice, his highest enjoyment.  Dr. Allen was a victim of 
chronic rheumatism, contracted in the army, and from this he was an 
almost constant sufferer.  He was a member, and in 1883, president of 
the State Medical society; also, at one time, a member of the 
Wheeling and Ohio County Medical society.  To the TRANSACTIONS of the 
former he contributed a paper on the "Microscope in Medical 
Practice," and another on "Ovariotomy," detailing a successful case 
in his own practice.  Dr. Allen died in Morgantown in 1887.  

 
(Linda Fluharty)