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History · Benson

Benson dates to 1880, and 68% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1914 on and the census since 1900.

1880founded
0on the National Register
68%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Quick answers

How Benson began

When was Benson founded?

1880

Benson dates its founding to 1880 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 249 in 19002020 census: 187146 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1881.

What stands out about Benson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Benson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Benson’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 451 in 1930; 187 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19144 editions of the USGS map, 1914 to 1994. Watch Benson change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Benson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Benson’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Benson, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Benson yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Benson is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The town is more commonly known to locals as Hollsopple, which is also the United States Postal Service name for the town, zip code 15935. The population was 185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. Benson is served by the Conemaugh Township Area School District. The community was named after one Charles Hollsopple, the original owner of the town site.

Benson was established in 1880. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 191 to 187 (-2%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

People over time

Benson, census by census

01002003004005001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 451

Peaked at 451 in 1930; 187 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Benson’s Wikipedia page.

Timeline

Benson, 1880 to 1930

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880
    FoundingBenson is established
  3. 1881Post officeThe Hollsopple post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1914On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1930CensusPopulation peaks at 451
By decade

Benson, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Benson municipal building2015Benson municipal building
On the map

Benson on the map, 1914 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Benson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Benson on the 1914 USGS mapBenson on the 1944 USGS mapBenson on the 1971 USGS mapBenson on the 1994 USGS map1914Windber sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Benson.

Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Jerome Junction

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Conemaugh Township1 historic placeAQuemahoning Township2 historic placesA−Paint TownshipIts storyC−

Questions about Benson’s history

What year was Benson founded?

In 1880, according to Wikidata. Benson’s post office opened in 1881, and the census of 1900 counted 249 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikidata (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.