Remembering Cliff Treas
Written by Justin D. Lamb
Left: A young Cliff Treas in 1910.
Right: Cliff Treas shortly before his death in the 1960s.
“From Foundation to Roof— We Have It!” Many of you may recall this familiar slogan of the old Treas Lumber Company in Benton. The successful lumber company, formerly located on the south end of Benton on Poplar Street, was headed for many years by Cliff Treas who during his lifetime became one of Marshall County’s most respected citizens.
Born on Friday, September 24, 1886 to Roland Green Treas and Frances Elizabeth Waller, Clifton “Cliff” Treas was raised in Benton and attended the Benton Seminary School. Following completion of his studies, Treas chose not to go to college, but instead joined his father in the lumber business where he took a keen interest in every aspect of the trade.
On October 10, 1911, Treas married Mary Carter Stilley, the daughter of Dr. Van A. Stilley and Katherine Elizabeth Strow of Benton. A daughter, Mary Elizabeth Treas, was born in 1913, but passed away in 1915 of a heart problem. The following year, a son, Van Stilley Treas was born. Sadly, he died in 1919 of meningitis.
His father-in-law was a well connected doctor in Benton which opened up many opportunities for Treas. In 1913, he was named assistant cashier at the Bank of Benton on Main Street, a position he held for six years. However, the young Treas was restless and left the banking industry in 1920 and accepted a position as Planning Mill Manager with the Aberdeen Lumber Company in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Treas returned home to Marshall County in 1925 and took over the family lumber company from his brothers. Treas Lumber Company was founded in 1884 by Roland G. Treas (Cliff Treas’ father) when he, along with two other businessmen, leased a combination mill from J.D. Peterson. By 1895, Roland G. Treas was sole owner of the lumber company which was steadily growing into a large operation. By the time Cliff Treas took the helm as president of the company in the 1920s, Treas Lumber Company was well on its way to becoming one of the premier lumber companies in western Kentucky.
Treas was a highly civic minded individual and was involved in many community causes. He was a charter member and longtime president of the Benton Young Men’s Progress Club which later evolved into the Marshall County Rotary Club.
A lifelong Republican, Treas became involved in politics when he ran for one of the fives seats on the Benton Town Board of Trustees in 1931. Treas ran a very strong race and was elected as the top vote getter which gave him title of Mayor of Benton. Treas became the first and only Republican to serve as Mayor of Benton. Treas won re-election to the board of trustees in 1935, but didn’t receive enough votes to continue as leader of the board. However, in 1939 election, Treas won the largest margin and was once again elected Mayor of Benton. By the early 1940s, Benton had grown considerably and the Board of Trustees was abolished and a Mayor/City Council form of city government which elected the Mayor to a four year term in separate race was adopted. Treas was the last of the old trustee mayors.
During his time as Mayor, Cliff Treas, who was a very forward thinking man, finished the progressive agenda started by his predecessor, Mayor Van Albert Stilley. A waterworks project was finally completed and stop signs and traffic lights were placed throughout the city. Many of the city roads were paved and sidewalks placed throughout the city as well. Benton was on its way to becoming a modern town.
Following his time in city government, Treas continued in the lumber business and returned to banking when he was chosen as a member of the Bank of Benton Board of Directors. He became Vice President of the Bank in 1950, and in 1952, he was chosen as Bank President. Treas was very active in the Benton Methodist Church where he served as Young Men’s Sunday School teacher, treasurer of the Board of Stewards, and superintendant of church property.
On February 25, 1949, Treas became a widower when his wife of 38 years passed away of a heart ailment. In 1951, Treas married for a second time to Reba Elizabeth Williams McCoy of Calvert City. Reba was the daughter of Martin Lafayette Williams and Clarissa Jane Berkeley.
Cliff Treas was very popular with the children in town because he always kept a large amount of chewing gum in his pocket.
After a nearly 50 year career in business, government, and banking, one of Benton’s leading citizens, Cliff Treas, passed away at Benton Municipal Hospital on February 3, 1965 at the age of 79. He was laid to rest in the Benton Cemetery Mausoleum.