Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The Benton post office opened in 1835, the earliest record of the town by name.
Benton was named in honor of politician Thomas Hart Benton.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Benton’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Benton.
Benton was platted in 1832. It was named in honor of politician Thomas Hart Benton.
The railroad was built through Benton in 1892. A post office was established at Benton in 1835, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1963.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Benton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The first town laid out in Benton County was the town of Oxford, situated on the south half of the southeast quarter of Section 18, and the north half of the nortlieast quarter of Section 19, in Township 24, of Range 7.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Mr. J. E. Miller, in his reminiscence, which is published in this book, says it was voted in 1866 to change the name to Benton Harbor because it was the most important town in the county and township of Benton.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
It was after a while voted to change the name to Benton Harbor, it being the chief town in the county and township of Benton.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first railroad projected in Benton County was called the La Favette, Oxford & Bloomington Railroad. The Board of Commissioners, at their March session, 1S68, undertook and agreed to make up to the company any delin(|uency, not exceeding $10,000, that the company might not be able to collect of $!50,000 that the citizens of Benton County luursubscribed to aid in the construction of the road, which was to run from La Fayette, in Tippe-
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.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Benton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Benton.
Nobody well known was born in Benton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Benton post office opened in 1835, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
