History comes alive in Benton
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While most museums connect people with the past, the Benton Museum not only showcases the history of the town, it is where present day residents continue to connect and discuss the town news. Each morning, a jovial group starts their day drinking coffee at the community center, conversing and reminiscing about members who once gathered around the table.
At the back of the building, new displays accompany a timeline on the wall displaying images and information that defined the town’s history. An open house is planned for Saturday, March 15 from 2-4 p.m. at the Benton Community Center.
The History of Benton is displayed on a large timeline spanning the entire west wall of the Benton Museum. A lighted 3-D diorama of the town adorns the south wall, and the Chicago Great Western Railroad history is prominently featured on the east wall.
Visitors can track Benton through the years on a large timeline spanning the entire west wall, and enjoy a lighted 3-D diorama of the town on the south wall. A relative of Becky Andrews contacted their local Industrial Arts Department and three dimensional buildings were completed as a class project. Pictures of the jail house and other early buildings were found by searching the Internet and were used along with pictures sent by the Benton Museum committee.
“We knew that we wanted the diorama, so they just did the 3D images and then my niece and sister and her family, her daughter and daughter-in-law, basically have designed it so they kind of just got memorabilia from everywhere,” said Andrews.
A handwritten note penned by Mrs. B. M. Lesan in 1936 states that “wild turkey and deer were hunted in the scrub oaks in 1855 where the town of Benton now stands.”
The Chicago Great Western Railroad was built in 1887. The town of Benton was platted in 1889 on part of Samuel Irvin’s farm, and a post office was established the same year, with A.F. Callen appointed postmaster.
A large picture of the railroad adorns the east wall of the museum, accompanied by additional pictures of two train wrecks and the old railroad crossing sign.
Additional displays around the museum showcase prior buildings including the original schoolhouse, the train depot, lumberyards, banks, stores, and churches.
The first church was built in 1890, and the first school house followed in 1893. The town of Benton incorporated in 1894 and had a store, hotel, drug store, restaurant, grain dealer, blacksmith and doctors in the early days.
Two additional churches were noted; the Advent Church, built in 1894, and the United Brethern church, which was moved from Siloam, Washington Township in 1895.
Downtown Benton around 1910. Picture provided by Mike Avitt.
The I.O.O.F. Lodge built a schoolhouse and a hall. The two-story hall with a cellar was described as 22 x 46 feet, with the upper room being used as the lodge. The lower room was used by a business firm.
Dora Vaughn was “among the Ringgold County notables,” serving as state representative, according to Mrs. Lesan’s note.
Town historians estimate around 200 people resided in Benton during the early “railroad days.” A page from a history book notes the population of Benton was 84 in 1962. Another typed note in the museum states the population of Benton had dropped to 40 by November of 1976 and listed 19 families.
Benton fought to keep their beloved post office, owned by the I.O.O.F. Lodge and remodeled in 1980, according to an article that appeared in the July 8, 1982 issue of the Diagonal Progress.
Roughly 10 years later, construction of the Benton Community Center was completed on October 14, 1992, and an open house welcomed 28 people. The community center was later expanded in 2005 with help from J.R. Miller donating $5,000 towards the addition of a museum, and other donations followed.
The Ringgold I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 570 officially moved their charter from the lodge building to the community center in 2006.
A community collection of historial documents, memorabilia, photographs and other items was housed on shelves in the addition until last year.
Initially established in 2005, the Benton Museum was recently re-designed thanks to $5,736.25 in grant funding from the Ringgold Foundation and $3,000 in memorial funds from Bob Andrews and Robert Graham ($1,500 each).
A breakfast for supper event began in the summer of 2006 to support the operation of the museum, and is still held the second Saturday of each month. The next breakfast for supper will be held Saturday, March 9, and the proceeds from the free-will-donation meal cover the cost of all monthly utilities.
The building can also be rented for $75 per day.
