Louisa Dow Benton

Louisa Dow Benton
"A Woman of the Century"
Born	Louisa Dwight Dow (1831-03-23)March 23, 1831 Portland, Maine, U.S.
Died	December 7, 1895(1895-12-07) (aged 64) Lancaster, New Hampshire, U.S.
Occupation	linguist translator letter writer scholar
Language	English, Volapük
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Free Street Seminary
Subject	Volapük
Spouse	Jacob Benton ​ ​ (m. 1860; died 1892)​
Parents	Neal Dow
Relatives	Frederick Neal Dow & Cornelia M. Dow (siblings)

Louisa Dwight Benton (née Dow; March 23, 1831 – December 7, 1895) was a 19th-century American linguist, translator,^[1] and letter writer. She became physically disabled from rheumatism, unable to walk, and lost almost the entire use of her hands. She learned to read Italian, Spanish, German, Greek, and Russian without any instruction. Then she took up Volapük, and became well known as a Volapük scholar. She carried on correspondence with several linguists in Europe and associations for the spreading of this language. ^[2] Benton died in 1895.