Benton
Latitude/Longitude: 41.91 N / 76.38 W
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Main
Street (looking North) |
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McHenry House 1914 |
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Benton Depot, early 1900's |
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Town
Hall/Opera House |
The Benton Foundry was once known as the Harrington Foundry. In 1910, Benton experienced a big fire while many residents were out of town at a festival in Berwick and at a baseball game at Jamison City (between Benton and Jamison City). Much of the town burned before the town fire companies could get there.
Benton was once home to nationally distributed McHenry Whiskey. Rohr McHenry and Son Distillery had its beginnings in Benton in 1812. The grandson of the original distiller was U.S. Congressman John G. McHenry. He took over the distillery from his father Rohr McHenry and greatly expanded its operation. He also started the Columbia County National Bank of Benton, which later became the Columbia County Farmers national bank. He was instrumental in having a series of Grange banks established, and he opened up the People's Department Store in Benton. Finally, he started a series of Pioneer Farms in the area. The fire of 1910 destroyed enough of the distillery that it could not recover. It also destroyed the store. When Congressman McHenry died soon after, a special train brought dozens of senators and congressmen from Washington to Benton to attend his funeral.
Benton had a town fair beginning in 1885. These ended after five years, but the Benton Farmers days drew large crowds well in to this century.
There is a dam about one-and-a-half miles above Benton on Fishing Creek. This dam is named the Brewington Dam after Robert K. Brewington, editor and publisher of The Benton Argus. The original dam was built in order to power a grist mill. By the mid twentieth century the dam was eroded to the point that is was holding back only a small amount of water. A committee composed of local residents and sportsmen began raising funds to rebuild the dam in 1964. The dam was built entirely of donated funds and the project received no government monies at all. The dam was completed in October 1964 despite efforts by the state to stop construction. Afterward, the Mill Race Golf Course and camping resort was built close by.
Today Benton is a small town with a number of stores, shops, industries and businesses. The town's population was 458 in 1990.
by Olivia
