Benton’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Benton. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Benton City was originally platted by the North Coast Railroad in 1909. The line was originally conceived as the North Coast Railroad in 1909, then came under ownership of the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company in 1913 when North Coast was merged with Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company before becoming part of the Union Pacific Railroad. [1] It took its name from Benton S. Groscup (and not the county's namesake), who was influential in the separation of Benton County from Yakima County. Freight and passenger depots were built by the railroad in 1910.
The town was officially incorporated July 2, 1945. Irrigation water was brought to the area via the Sunnyside Canal in 1947, allowing the area to grow considerably.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Benton’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Benton’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewBenton City railroad station on o…, 1909: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Benton
See all 2 →
Benton, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Benton City railroad station on opening day of service, 1909 (1909) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.