Benton

History

Settled in 1832 on land owned by James Maull, it was initially known as Maull's Landing, before it was renamed and incorporated as Benton in 1834. It was named after Thomas Hart Benton, then the U.S. Senator from Missouri, who had served under General Andrew Jackson in the Creek Campaign. During the steamboat era, it was a major trading stop along the Alabama River. Maull's son, Edward, auctioned off lots in 1855, that were incorporated into the town. The earliest year any population figures were returned by the U.S. Census for the area (below the county level) was in 1870, when Benton Beat (then one of ten divisions in Lowndes County) returned 2,627 residents, the majority of whom were newly emancipated blacks. In 1880, Lowndes County was subdivided further into 20 beats (precincts), and the Benton Beat fell to 1,094 residents. In 1890, it declined to 994, and for the first time, the town of Benton was reported separately with a population of 265. Benton's incorporation would lapse shortly (the town did not report a separate population in 1900) and with the shift to railroads, followed by the outmigration of the majority black population, it would dwindle in size. The Benton Precinct would fall from 1,049 in 1900 (same as its 1880 population), down to 409 by 1950, before all the county precincts were eliminated and redistricted into census divisions. In 1964, Benton was reincorporated, reporting 115 residents as of the 1970 census. As of 1990, it has declined to just under 50 residents and has held steady as of 2010. Out of Lowndes County's seven incorporated communities, it is one of only two with a white majority (as of 2000 and 2010), Lowndesboro being the other. It is also one of the smallest incorporated communities in the state. Benton, Alabama can be…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (8.82%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  628
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  610
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  525
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  505
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  470
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  458
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  401
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  389

Largest nearby schools

• JacksonSteele Elementary School
  Elementary · Hayneville · 129 students · 14.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2021-12-22
  10 km E of Maplesville, Alabama
• M 2.9 — 2009-04-22
  15 km S of Centreville, Alabama
• M 3.4 — 2009-04-21
  12 km S of Centreville, Alabama
• M 2.8 — 2004-08-28
  13 km SSE of Centreville, Alabama
• M 3 — 2004-03-20
  11 km NW of Wilton, Alabama