Editing Benton, Tennessee

{{Distinguish|Benton County, Tennessee}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Benton, Tennessee
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Wiggins-House-Benton-tn.jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = The Drug Store (left) and ''Polk County News'' block in Benton
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = File:Polk County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Benton Highlighted 4705040.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Benton in Polk County, Tennessee.
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Tennessee]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Polk County, Tennessee|Polk]]

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = Founded
| established_date         = 1840
| established_title2       = Incorporated
| established_date2        = 1915<ref>''[http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/48-data.pdf Tennessee Blue Book]'', 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.</ref>
| named_for                = [[Thomas Hart Benton (senator)|Thomas Hart Benton]]

<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 7.85
| area_land_km2            = 7.85
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 3.03
| area_land_sq_mi          = 3.03
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_total         = 1523
| population_density_km2   = 193.90
| population_density_sq_mi = 502.14

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 226
| elevation_ft             = 741
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|10|27|N|84|39|13|W|type:city_region:US-TN|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes    = <ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|1327567|Benton}}</ref>
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 37307
| area_code                = [[Area code 423|423]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 47-05040<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1327567<ref name=GNIS/>
| website                  = 
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
}}
'''Benton''' is a town in [[Polk County, Tennessee]], United States. The population was 1,532 at the 2020 census.<ref>Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, [https://www.tn.gov/ecd/pdf/StateProfile/2011certpop.pdf Certified Population of Tennessee Incorporated Municipalities and Counties] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630192652/https://www.tn.gov/ecd/pdf/StateProfile/2011certpop.pdf |date=June 30, 2014 }}, State of Tennessee official website, July 14, 2011. Retrieved: December 6, 2013.</ref> It is the [[county seat]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref>

Benton is included in the [[Cleveland, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
Benton was founded in 1840 as a county seat for Polk County, which had been established the previous year. The town, originally a trading post known as McKamy's stock stand, was named in honor of politician and US Senator from Missouri, [[Thomas Hart Benton (politician)|Thomas Hart Benton]].<ref>Marian Bailey Presswood, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1066 Polk County]."  ''The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2002.  Retrieved: March 31, 2008.</ref>

[[Nancy Ward]], a [[Cherokee]] known as ''Nanyehi,'' was a Beloved Woman, a leader among her people. For many years, she participated in negotiations with the British and Americans. After the American Revolution, she had an inn here and was finally buried here. The Nancy Ward Chapter of the [[Daughters of the American Revolution|DAR]], named in her honor, has marked the graves of her and her son Fivekiller.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

<!-- Needs some history -->
On May 27, 1983, the [[Benton fireworks disaster]] occurred on a farm southeast of the city. An explosion at a secret [[fireworks]] operation killed eleven, injured one, and caused damage within a radius of several miles, revealing the illegal business.<ref>{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Fireworks suspect charged with deaths|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19830530&id=5O0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6978,8211234|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|location=Spokane, Washington|date=May 30, 1983|access-date=April 19, 2014|via=Google News}}</ref> This was by far the largest and most successful known illegal fireworks operation. The blast was heard more than {{cvt|20|mi}} away.

==Geography==
Benton is located at {{coord|35|10|27|N|84|39|13|W|type:city_region:US-TN}} (35.1742411, -84.6535468).<ref name=GNIS/> The town is situated just southeast of the confluence of the [[Ocoee River]] and the [[Hiwassee River]], roughly {{convert|34|mi|km}} upstream from the latter's mouth along the [[Chickamauga Lake]] impoundment of the [[Tennessee River]]. The [[Unicoi Range|Unicoi Mountains]] rise prominently to the east of Benton.

Benton is centered on the junction of [[U.S. Route 411]], which connects the town to [[Etowah, Tennessee|Etowah]] to the north and [[Tennga, Georgia]] to the south, and [[Tennessee State Route 314]], which connects Benton to [[Parksville, Tennessee|Parksville]], [[Cherokee National Forest]], and the [[Ocoee Dam No. 1|Ocoee Dam]] area to the southeast. Benton is located approximately {{convert|20|mi|km}} east of [[Interstate 75 in Tennessee|Interstate 75]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|2.3|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

One of the scenic areas around Benton is Lake McCamy, where a hiking trail leads to the Benton Falls.<ref>Hiking Tennessee: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures Kelley Roark, Stuart Carroll - 2015 1493023934 " In fact, a good portion of the Benton Falls Trail is used by mountain bikers, who start at Lake McCamy and bike through past the falls on Clemmer Trail to US 64 where it intersects with TN 30 at the bottom of the mountain. "</ref><ref>Hiking Waterfalls in Tennessee: A Guide to the State's Best 1493014447 Johnny Molloy - 2015 Page 135  " Benton Falls This popular waterfall starts at a popular Chilhowee Campground, a top a mountain in the Cherokee National Forest. The wide trail first takes you by a lake, then intertwines with bike trails before descending to upper Rock ..."</ref><ref>Longstreet Highroad Guide to the Tennessee Mountains -H. Lea Lawrence, Vernon Summerlin, Cathy Summerlin 1563524759- 2001 Page 227 "Benton Falls is fan shaped and tumbles from a rock ledge down the face of the rock onto another rock face."</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 250
|1880= 183
|1890= 165
|1960= 638
|1970= 749
|1980= 1115
|1990= 992
|2000= 1138
|2010= 1385
|2020= 1523
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR9">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}</ref><ref name=CensusPopEst>{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Benton racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4705040&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 25, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,418
| 93.11%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 5
| 0.33%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 8
| 0.53%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 1
| 0.07%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 1
| 0.07%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 61
| 4.01%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 29
| 1.9%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,523 people, 645 households, and 438 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,138 people, 468 households, and 301 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|502.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 513 housing units at an average density of {{convert|226.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.86% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.09% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.18% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.09% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.70% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.53% of the population.

[[Image:Fort Marr.JPG|left|thumb|Fort Marr in Benton is the last of 23 stockades used to hold the [[Cherokee]] during the months prior to their journey to [[Indian Territory]] on what they called the [[Trail of Tears]].]]
[[File:Polk-County-Courthouse-Benton-tn.jpg|thumb|Polk County Courthouse in Benton]]

There were 468 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,667, and the median income for a family was $31,146. Males had a median income of $24,667 versus $23,295 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $12,580. About 15.1% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 34.5% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Benton, Tennessee}}
*[http://www.mypclc.org Polk County Library Cooperative]
*[http://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/public/CHARTERS.nsf/0/A72BD33139A6E2C5852568CC0061DAC5/$File/Benton.cht.pdf?OpenElement Town charter]

{{Polk County, Tennessee}}
{{Tennessee county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Polk County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Towns in Tennessee]]
[[Category:County seats in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1840]]