Obituary

Benjamin Bloom, of Pike township, died on the 12th of August, in the 88th year of his age. With the exception of Mrs. Sarah Rowles, he is the last of the old stock of that name. Thus, one after another of the early settlers are passing away and in a few more years they will all have passed "over the river" that divides time from eternity.7063
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Date calculation confirms Benjamin’s birthdate of 31 December 1790, per the data on his tombstone of having lived 86 years, 7 months and 13 days.1111
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Benjamin Bloom, fourth son of William, Sr., was born in New Jersey and came to Clearfield County in 1798.*

He married Sallie, second daughter of Thomas McClure. She was born October 20, 1792, died September 14, 1868.

Their family follows: Thomas, born September 7, 1813, died November 20, 1892, married 1st, Hannah Cleaver, 2nd, Ruth A. Walker; William L., born october 24, 1819, died 1895, married 1st, Hannah Widemire, 2nd, Martha Miller; Jonathan Ross, born July 27, 1822, died 1909, married 1st, Nancy McGaughey, 2nd Matilda R. Hoover; Margaret, born June 13, 1815, died September 16, 1852, married John McPherson; Nancy, born September 2, 1829, deid 1847; Lucinda, born July 17, 1824, died September 4, 1884, married Henry Swan, born 1818, died 1895; Julian, born October 28, 1826, died March 24, 1911, married John Porter; Mary, born September 8, 1817, died November 2, 1846, married James Wrigley.2108
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This source indicates Benjamin was born in Huntingdon County, PA.1916
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Benjamin with his sister Elizabeth and brother John traveled with their father when he began to move the family from Centre to Clearfield county in the spring of 1801. See the story of the children's dealings with the Indians and the harsh winter they spent alone in their father's notes “The Winter of 1801-1802.”3
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A Panther Story

You remember the story of how Betsey and Ben kept the cabin [see The Winter of 1801-1802 in his father William’s notes]. Well, when the Ben of this story grew up, he was Ben or Benjamin Bloom. When he was about middle age, he took his big dog one day and went out hunting. Soon the dog got on the trail of some animal, and tracked it on and on until it went in among the rocks of what is now the Snyder Stone Quarry above Curwensville.

When they came to the roughest part, where the cliff overhung the rocks and holes below, they looked down over, and there was a panther. The dog was afraid of nothing and immediately jumped right down onto the panther, and there was a terrible fight. Ben could not shoot the panther for fear of killing the dog, but knew the dog was so gritty that he would never give up until either the dog or the panther was dead.

Fearing for the dog, he jumped right down into the midst of the fighting and watching his chance, caught the panther by the hindlegs, with his bare hands. Then the dog got the panther by the throat and between Ben's trampling it and the dog's choking it, they soon had it nearly torn to pieces and the life out of it.

Ever after this time, Mr. Bloom would have spells of shaking nerves. He believed this was brought on by his fight with the panther.7064
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See the story involving Benjamin and his brothers Isaac and John and a James McCracken at this source.2149
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After Benjamin’s marriage, he bought a tract of land, which is now partly in the limits of Curwensville borough, the portion out of the borough being now owned by I. M. Kester. Here Benjamin Bloom lived, brought up his large family, and was “gathered to his fathers.” The family of Benjamin Bloom is related by inter-marriages with some of the most prominent and influential families of Clearfield county.2347
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*Benjamin came to Clearfield County in 1798.2107

[This date is probably inaccurate given the logic of the story of the families suspected date of arrival per the Thomas Wall account, found in William Bloom's notes.]
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The following names were all on deeds belonging to Robert Askey [1768-1851]: Caleb Bailey, Abraham Passmore, Benjamin Bloom, John Irvin, Job England and Issac Bloom.759

[THIS Benjamin Bloom?]