Dick Ray stayed at Miss Benson's at 29 Pine Street when he first arrived in Saranac Lake. Many years later, he captioned this photograph "Was this Connie Benson?" See his page for an account of his stay there.
Born: c. 1867, in Fredericksburg or Falmouth Virginia, a daughter of Orlando P. Benson (of Massena) and Susan Primmer
Died: c. 1952
Cornelia E. Benson owned and operated the Benson Nursing Cottage, at 29 Pine street for 32 years.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 30, 1952
Miss Benson Leaves Saranac Lake Today
Miss Cornelia E. Benson, who for 32 years owned and operated the Benson Nursing Cottage, at 29 Pine street, Saranac Lake leaves today to make her home with her sister, Mrs. A. J. Dewey, in Massena.
Miss Benson, 85 years old, is retiring due to ill health and has sold her cottage to Mrs. Hugh Bickford, owner for many years of the Bickford Cottage, at 33 Olive street.
Born in Virginia in 1867, Miss Benson and her family moved to Massena in 1881. After graduating from the Potsdam Normal School, she taught school for a short period. She then entered the nursing field and did private duty previously to opening her nursing home here in 1920.
During her many years here she has cared for tuberculous patients from all parts of this country, from Europe, Puerto Rico and Nova Scotia, many of whom have returned frequently to visit her.
