Benton Ridge

History

Benton Ridge was originally called Benton, and under the latter name was laid out in 1835 and named for Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858), a U.S. Senator from Missouri. Some of the earliest settlers of Benton Ridge are buried in Swartz Cemetery, which also has a Veteran's Memorial. A post office called Benton Ridge has been in operation since 1837. The village was incorporated in 1875. The Benton Ridge Telephone Company was founded in 1902, and is an Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier for 3 exchanges in west central Ohio. It provides telecommunication services in rural communities, spinning off a cable TV and internet company in 1992 (WATCH), as well as a fiber based internet company (CFS) in 2010. The company was acquired by Cequel III in 2022. On Nov. 1, 1941, just one month before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a B-25 bomber on a training mission flying out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, crashed nearby. Solt Automotive Engineering, one of the oldest go-kart manufacturers in the USA, was located just outside of Benton Ridge.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,516
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,219
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,039
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,652
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,523
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,414
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,392
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,319

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2024-12-29
  1 km SSE of Hicksville, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2024-03-18
  4 km WSW of Millbury, Ohio
• M 2.9 — 2023-12-09
  5 km W of Jackson Center, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2023-05-20
  3 km SSE of Walbridge, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2015-06-12
  6 km NW of Convoy, Ohio
• M 2.7 — 2010-05-14
  1 km ENE of Gibsonburg, Ohio