Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Benton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Benton is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #221 of 768 in Illinois. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Benton’s overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Benton’s 1.5 sits near the middle of its state (64% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points). Two sources give 1841.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Benton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
On April 19, 1928, Benton was the site of the next-to-last public hanging in Illinois, when local gangster Charles Birger was executed on the gallows next to the county jail for the December 12, 1926 murder of Joe Adams, mayor of nearby West City. A replica of the gallows and hangman's noose were built by the late retired Old Ben Coal miner, businessman & carpenter, Birchard L. Wampler (March 9, 1938 – June 29, 2010) and his son Birchard Neil Wampler. They remain standing today next to the old Franklin County Jail turned Museum.
Passages that mention Benton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Franklin County, Illinois, war history, 1832-19191920 · page 322Read the page →
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THE bird's eye view of the modern lumber yard and shed of the Benton Lumber Company shown here, is the result of the rapid growth of Benton, and the need of an institution of its kind.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Franklin County, Illinois, war history, 1832-19191920 · page 259Read the page →
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Franklin County Mining Company THE modern mine here pictured is another instance of the determination of Benton business men to take the initiative in developing the coal fields surrounding Benton. As has been stated in other reviews, Benton capital has taken the initiative in the development of all the mines in the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first school in Benton was opened in 1841. The legis¬ lature incorporated the Benton Academy in 1841 and named some of the citizens as trustees. The trustees purchased a lot and built a two story frame building. The academy did not survive long. Then the trustees sold the property to the Ben¬ ton school district and on the lot sold, was erected in 1870, the first brick school building in the county. The building re¬ ceived the name of Logan in later years. The old frame school
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Benton, decade by decade
4 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1841, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1860 counted 380 people here.
How does Benton rank for history?
Benton is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #221 of 768 in Illinois. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Benton?
One place: the Franklin County Jail (listed 1999).
How old are the homes in Benton?
16% of Benton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1959.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (16), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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