James Benjamin Paul was born on Monday, 13 May 1839, in Scioto County, Ohio, son of Peris Augustus Paul and Elisabeth Monroe, and a grandson of Peter Paul and Abigail Adams, and Charles Monroe and Martha Louisa Jacobs. All were early settlers of southern Ohio while the region was still a frontier. Like so many pioneer families, their children and grandchildren pushed even further west, some like James, all the way to the Pacific coast. James was 19 years old when he accompanied his parents and brothers and sisters to Kansas. On 14 May 1861, the day after his 22nd birthday, James joined the Union cause in the American Civil War, enlisting at Kansas City in Company E, 2nd Regiment, Kansas Infantry. He served in that unit until 31 October 1861 when he was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. On 12 February 1864 he enlisted at Garnett, Kansas, in Company F, 11th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry Volunteers. James was married on 12 September 1869 in Anderson County, Kansas, to Lucinda Anne Risen/Rison. On 11 August 1876, Lucinda died. James was married again on 11 July 1877 in Linn County, Kansas, to Anna Elizabeth Williams. "Annie" was born on 17 March 1860 in Kansas, daughter of John Williams and Melissa Jane Rutledge - niece of the outlaw John Rutledge. A few years, prior to 1890, James Benjamin Paul moved his family to Columbia County, Oregon, where he filed a homestead claim for 169 acres. Later, he moved to Portland and was renting a house at 403 12th Street in Portland in 1900. James caught pneumonia and died there on 13 February 1901 and was buried two days later in Lone Fir Cemetery in what is now downtown Portland. His widow, Anna, was remarried on 26 March 1904 at Astoria, Oregon, to Arthur L. Woodbury. She died 25 April 1909 in Portland and was buried in Rose City Cemetery, Portland.