Benjamin Archer's sister, Mary, married Aaron Nutt.  In 1788, Archer and his two brothers-in-law, Aaron Nutt and Benjamin Robbins, moved to Kentucky.  Not satisfied because of trouble with land titles and the existence of slavery, they made arrangements to move into Ohio and were engaged as surveyors.  After the land was surveyed, Archer chose 480 acres near Clyo and Alex-Bell Roads.  He added to this later, totaling up to over 500 acres.  His land lay outside the original town limits.  The men returned to their homes in Kentucky to gather their families.  Benjamin Archer arrived back in 1798.

He originally came from Mansfield, New Jersey in Burlington County.  He had been a judge while living in Philadelphia and he was quickly appointed an Associate Judge for Montgomery County.  Judge Archer took part in the first court held in the county on July 27, 1803 which was held upstairs in Newcom's Tavern in Dayton.

He operated the first "store" in the township out of a log cabin on his farm.  The cabin was located southeast of the intersection at Clyo and Alex-Bell Roads.  He was also a brick building contractor and won the bid for the building of the first Montgomery County Courthouse at Third and Main Streets in Dayton.  His bid was $4,776  for the two story brick building, measuring 42 feet by 38 feet.  It was occupied in the winter of 1807,  but was not done until 1815.

Archer was active in church affairs.  He was a deacon and church treasurer of the Baptist Church of Sugar Creek.  He was also appointed, along with two other gentlemen, to draft a bill for incorporating the church

He was trustee of the township 1812-1819 and 1822-1823.

In 1824, Benjamin Archer moved his family and his children's families to Washington Township in Allen County, Indiana where he helped with the founding of Fort Wayne.  Benjamin and his son, David, were in debt and carried heavy mortgages.  They were involved in two court cases involving their land.  In 1815, suit was brought against Benjamin for allowing his son to pay for the land patent.  The Cincinnati Land Office accused Benjamin of passing the responsibility of the land to his son so that his creditors could not lay claim to his assets - his store and tavern.  In 1824, again his creditors brought suit against them and the Court of Common Pleas ordered the sheriff to sell the 423 acres belonging to them at a public auction.  They left for Indiana where land was new and cheaper at $2 an acre.

Benjamin Archer died in 1833.