Benson, Minnesota

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Benson
The Brick Swift County Courthouse in Benson, built in 1898, listed in the NRHP since 1977 [1]
The Brick Swift County Courthouse in Benson, built in 1898 and listed on the NRHP since 1977
Location in Minnesota
Location of Benson in Swift County (right) and Minnesota (left)
Basic data
Foundation : 1870
State : United States
State : Minnesota
County : Swift County
Coordinates : 45 ° 19 ′  N , 95 ° 36 ′  W Coordinates: 45 ° 19 ′  N , 95 ° 36 ′  W
Time zone : Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 )
Residents : 3,240 (as of 2010)
Population density : 414.3 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 7.82 km 2  (approx. 3 mi 2 )
Height : 319 m
Postal code : 56215
Area code : +1 320
FIPS : 27-05212
GNIS ID : 639933
Website : www.bensonmn.org
Mayor : Paul Kittelson
2012-0828-Swift-StBridgetCatholic.jpg
The Catholic St. Bridget Church in Benson, listed on the NRHP since 1985

Benson is a small town (with the status " City ") and the administrative seat of Swift County in the US -amerikanischen State Minnesota . In 2010 , Benson had 3,240 residents.

geography

Benson is located in western Minnesota at the confluence of the East Branch Chippewa River in the Chippewa River , a left tributary of the Minnesota River, which flows into the Mississippi . The geographical coordinates of Benson are 45 ° 18'55 "north latitude and 95 ° 36'14" west longitude. The urban area extends over an area of ​​7.82 km².

Neighboring towns of Benson are De Graff (12 km southeast), Danvers (13.5 km west-southwest) and Clontarf (9.6 km northwest).

The nearest major cities are Minneapolis (201 km east), Minnesota's capital Saint Paul (220 km in the same direction), Rochester (341 km southeast), Sioux Falls in South Dakota (264 km southwest) and Fargo , North Dakota (206 km north-northwest).

traffic

US Highway 12 and Minnesota State Routes 9 and 29 meet in Benson . All other roads are subordinate country roads, partly unpaved roads or inner-city connecting roads.

In a north-west-south-east direction, a railway line of the BNSF Railway runs through the urban area of ​​Benson.

The Benson Municipal Airport is located 4.8 km west-northwest of downtown Benson. The nearest major airport is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (219 km east).

history

Before the arrival of the first whites, the land was claimed by both Anishinabe and Sioux tribes .

The first white settler in the area around today's city was the Norwegian Ole Corneiliusen in 1866 . In 1869 the first general store was opened in anticipation of the construction of a new railway line. ! In 870 the railroad came and a settlement was built, named after a local politician from Anoka Benson . The first hotel was also built around this time and served as accommodation for many railway employees. The city's first school lessons were held there for their children.

Since the railway was not built for about a year, a small trading center developed around the end of the line. In 1875, Benson had around 300 residents, four general stores, two drug stores, three hotels, a bank and two saloons. A year later, the city's first school building was put into operation.

In 1876 the area was hit by a plague of locusts. In 1880, a major fire broke out in the town, leading to the establishment of the Benson Volunteer Fire Department a year later.

In 1890, the first Benson High School graduates received their high school diplomas . A public waterworks was built in 1895. Before the turn of the century, a power plant was financed by private investors, which in 1902 became municipal property.

Around the turn of the century, the first horseless carriages came to Benson. JBA Benoit , who ran a bicycle workshop, showed interest in the new invention and in 1902 designed a two-seater open automobile himself.

In 1904 the Northside School (now Junior High School ) was built. A public library was established in 1911. A year later a hospital for 20 to 25 patients was built. The Southside School opened in 1913. In 1949 a new city hospital was built. Northside Scholl was established in 1958 and a new high school in 1965. In 1990, all schools in town celebrated the centenary of the school system in Benson.

Demographic data

Population development
Census Residents ± in%
1880 456 -
1890 877 92.3%
1900 1525 73.9%
1910 1677 10%
1920 2111 25.9%
1930 2095 -0.8%
1940 2729 30.3%
1950 3398 24.5%
1960 3678 8.2%
1970 3484 -5.3%
1980 3656 4.9%
1990 3235 -11.5%
2000 3376 4.4%
2010 3240 -4%
1880-2000 2010

According to the 2010 census , Benson had 3,240 people in 1,469 households. The population density was 414.3 people per square kilometer. Statistically, 2.14 people lived in 1469 households.

The racial the population was composed of 97.2 percent white, 0.5 percent African American, 0.4 percent Native American, 0.2 percent Asian, 0.1 percent Polynesian and 0.6 percent from other ethnic groups; 1.0 percent were descended from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 2.6 percent of the population regardless of ethnicity.

21.9 percent of the population were under 18 years old, 55.6 percent were between 18 and 64 and 22.5 percent were 65 years or older. 52.2 percent of the population was female.

The average annual income for a household was 37,773  USD . The per capita income was $ 24,700. 10.5 percent of the population lived below the poverty line.

Known residents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Extract from the National Register of Historic Places - No. 77000771.Retrieved June 26, 2013
  2. ↑ Extract from the National Register of Historic Places - No. 85001768.Retrieved June 26, 2013
  3. ↑ a b c American Fact Finder. Retrieved June 26, 2013
  4. ↑ Distance information according to Google Maps. Accessed June 26, 2013
  5. ↑ AirNav.com - KBBB Retrieved on June 26, 2013
  6. ^ History of Benson.Retrieved June 26, 2013
  7. ^ US Decennial Census. Retrieved June 26, 2013
  8. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Mark Kennedy.Retrieved June 26, 2013
  9. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Darwin Hall.Retrieved June 26, 2013
  10. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Paul John Kvale.Retrieved June 26, 2013

Web links