Benton County Was Named For This Man

The Benton County Fair is set to start one week from today (June 30) in Sauk Rapids.   Benton County in Minnesota is one of 9 states with a Benton County.  All are named after the same person. That person is former Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.  He served in the 1820s and was known for his work on homestead laws which made him popular among settlers.

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Benton County was established as one of Minnesota's 9 original counties in 1849 when Minnesota was a territory.  Benton County Executive Director Mary Ostby says it is unlikely Thomas Benton ever set foot in Minnesota's Benton County.

The other states with a Benton County include Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.  Alabama and Florida also had Benton Counties but those counties were renamed in the 1850s.