Historical Encyclopedia Illinois Knox CO Munsell Publishing CO 1899 Ramp, Benjamin--Farmer: Haw Creek Township; born in Cumberland Co, Pa, Nov. 20, 1815. The family is of German descent. Mr. Ramp moved to Miami Co., OH in 1844 and thence to Knox Co, Ill. in 1848 and settled on Section 3, Haw Creek Township.
Oct 26, 1837, Mr. Ramp was married to Sarah Mapps. They had thirteen children: Elizabeth, wife of John W. Cook, died Jan 14, 1862; William; Mary Jane, wife of Henry Bell, John, died Aug 11, 1842, David, Aaron, died Jan 14, 1854; Benjamin, died June 5, 1850; Samuel; Jesse M., died Oct 31, 1853; Asa M.; Cephas A; James W,; and Charles A. Mr. Ramps second daughter was first married to Mr. Epperson; there was one son, William B. Epperson. Her second marriage was to Henry R. Bell. Six children were born to them; Milton, Lawrence; Estella now Mrs. Evnas; Arthur; Lillie; and Luetta Ella. Henry R. Bell's father was Henry Bell, an old settler and ex-sheriff of Knox County. Mr. Bell was born in Knox County, and is a farmer in Haw Creek Township. In politics he is a democrat. Mr. Ramp owned two thousand acres of land in Haw Creek, Truro, and Persifer Townships, all, except three hundred acres of pasture, being under cultivation. All this he accumulated in spite of successive accidents by which he lost first a leg and then an arm. After recovering from the first accident he had little property and was in debt for treatment.
Mr. and Mrs. Ramp were members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Ramp was a republican.. He held several local offices and was for four years Justice of the peace.

Excerpt from Knox County, Illinois Biographies - 1886
BENJAMIN RAMP - One of the most important factors in the prosperity of Knox County is found in the person of the subject of this biography, who is a farmer and stockdealer, living on section 3, of Haw Creek Township. He is one of the solid men of the county, owns considerable property, and is an instance of what energy of purpose combined with industry and persistent toil can do.
Mr. Ramp was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 20 November 1815, and is the son of William and Mary (Hebberling) Ramp, both natives of Pennsylvania. The family was originally of German lineage, as their patronymic goes to show.  The subject of this recital removed to Miami County, Ohio, in 1844, and engaged in farming. In 1848 he removed to Knox County, Illinois and took up his abode on section 3, Haw Creek, where he now resides. He owns 2,000 acres of land in this county, located in Haw Creek, Persifer, and Truro Townships, all, except 300 acres of pasture, under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Ramp has one of the best dwellings in the township, built of brick and costing upward of $6,000.00. The grounds are laid out in a tasteful and picturesque manner, and the barn, corn-houses and out-buildings are first class in every respect and second to none in the county.
On the 26th of October, 1837, he deserted the ranks of single blessedness and was united in marriage to Sarah Mapps. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Highland) Mapps and was born in New Jersey. Her mother was a native of Pennsylvania, from a family of English origin on the father's side and Irish on the mother's side. To Mr. and Mrs. Ramp have been born 13 children….(they) have 40 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
When Mr. Ramp moved to Ohio, in 1844, he only had about $150, and when he came to Knox County, in 1848, his possessions amounted to only about $1,200 on arrival. On arriving here he purchased a farm of 87 acres. He rented a house and spent the winter in Knoxville, and desiring to earn a little money he engaged in teaming from Knoxville to Peoria. On the third trip, going down the Spoon River Hill, the staple on the neck-yoke broke; Mr. Ramp was walking, and in attempting to catch the team he was thrown to the ground, the wheels passing over his left leg, which necessitated its amputation at the upper part of the thigh. From this accident he was all winter recovering, and when in the spring he moved out to the farm with his wife and six small children, he had but a few dollars and was in debt on account of his sickness.  Now a man of less courage would have been disheartened, but not so with Mr. Ramp. With commendable energy he set about to recover his fortunes, and by the exercise of foresight and good judgment he finally carved out success. Little by little he added to his landed estate, until now his broad acreage comprises one of the finest farms in Knox County. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ramp refer with much gratitude to the kind attentions bestowed on them by the citizens of Knoxville, during the sore trials; the remembrance of those kind acts will ever be green in their memories. The people of Knoxville wished to present them with two hundred dollars, but they would not accept it. In 1860, while Mr. Ramp was driving a mower, one of the wheels fell into a blind ditch, and he was thrown on the ground in front of the sickle-bar, which cut off his right arm below the elbow. Even this did not discourage him, and he still continues to manage his farms.
Mr. Ramp has held many minor offices of this county, and township, and has been Justice of the Peace for four years. Both himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church at Knoxville, and in politics he is a Republican. At their beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. Ramp dispense a liberal hospitality.  He ranks as one of the enterprising and public-spirited citizens of Knox County.