Benjamin Presley Hill was born April 1, 1843, in Paris, Missouri.

In 1852, his family moved to Solano, California, then to Napa, where in the 1860 Census, his father reported his profession as “Farmer”.

In the 1870 Census, his father was absent, but his mother Nancy Hill reported her profession as “Keeping house”, and Ben (now 27) reported $1,000 in “personal estate”.

On September 18, 1871, he married Luzette (aka Lulu) M Hollister in Solano.

By 1880, he had moved his family, now including son Arthur, to El Cajon, and reported his profession as “Farmer”.

In the 1900 Census, he reported his profession as “Patrolman” and his residence as “San Diego City”.

Augustus Cravath was appointed Sheriff to fill out the term of Sheriff John Folks, who was convicted of a kickback scheme with a printing company and removed from office.  Cravath served from August 1892 until Ben Hill was elected and took office in January 1893 and served until January 1894.

In those days, even the Sheriff needed to forage for provisions.  As reported in the San Diego Union and Daily Bee, 7 February 1893, Sheriff Ben Hill, Lawyer J.E. Wadham and Captains Keith, Diel, and Mabel went fishing outside San Diego Bay in the new pilot boat Tom Ellis on a damp and foggy morning.

As reported in the San Diego Union and Daily Bee, September 1, 1894, Sheriff Hill and Detective George T. Insley (chief of the Insley Detective Bureau of Los Angeles, and the “best-known detective in Southern California” per the San Francisco Call, 19 October 1896) had gone to the Mexican border, pursuing a rustler named Pedro Alvarez, and lodged at the Frontera House.  The next morning, Detective Insley spotted Alvarez, drew his .45 and attempted to arrest Alvarez, but Alvarez being a “giant in strength”, Insley couldn’t handcuff him alone.  Sheriff Hill at this point came out of the hotel, saw the situation, and grabbed Alvarez.  Insley lowered his gun and also grabbed Alvarez.  “For three minutes there was a fight livelier than any bear and lion contest, until Sheriff Hill got a shut-off grip on Alvarez’s windpipe and forced his tongue out of his throat.  Insley slipped the handcuffs on, and from that moment Alvarez was as meek and docile as any lamb.”

Unfortunately, in August 1896, Detective Insley was removing a .44 Colt from under his buggy seat when it discharged and fatally wounded him.  Ex-Sheriff Hill was nearby and summoned physicians.  Insley appeared to improve but ultimately died in October from his wound.

Ben Hill was defeated in the 1894 election by Frank S. Jennings, despite running largely on a platform of fiscal effectiveness.  Hill and Cravath had running battles in the newspapers through 1894 as to who had been the most cost-effective Sheriff.

Ben Hill died March 26, 1908, in San Diego.  He was survived (briefly) by his wife Luzette, who passed away less than four months later, on July 20, 1908.  He was also survived by his son, Arthur Reavis Hill.