Ben Holladay

Ben Holladay
Born	Benjamin Holladay (1819-10-14)October 14, 1819 Nicholas County, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	July 8, 1887(1887-07-08) (aged 67) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Spouses	Notley Ann Calvert ​ ​ (m. 1839; died 1873)​ Lydia Esther Campbell ​ ​ (m. 1849)​

Benjamin Holladay (October 14, 1819 – July 8, 1887)^[1] was an American transportation businessman responsible for creating the Overland Stage to California during the height of the 1849 California Gold Rush. He created a stagecoach empire and is known in history as the "Stagecoach King".

A native of Kentucky, he also was hired as a private courier to General Alexander Doniphan of Missouri. Doniphan refused point-blank to carry out orders to kill the Mormons during the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Through Holladay's friendship with Brigham Young, Holladay established a profitable freighting contract to Salt Lake City.^{[citation needed]} His transportation empire later included steamships and railroads in Oregon.