Benton Township was erected in April 1850 by taking the north end of Fishing Creek Township from the present south boundary of Benton Township to the southern boundary of Sugarloaf and naming it in honor of Thomas H. Benton, a political figure at the time.
Peter Appleman was probably the first resident, residing on the farm that was occupied by Robert E. and H. Dayne Kline, described as the southern boundary of Putney Common in the deed of 1789. In this deed Ezekiel Cole was described as the north boundary.
Other early settlers were Peter Dildine, Jonathan Colley, James Peterman, Jesse Pennington and Uriah McHenry.
John McHenry started the McHenry Distillery about 1812 at a spring on his farm west of Benton Borough, which thrived for over 100 years.
The first mill in the township was built in 1819 by Ezekiel Cole for his son, Isaiah, and was washed away by the flood of 1848.
1.”Some Historical Facts About Northern Columbia County” By Edwin M. Barton
Benton Township has always been a farming district, although at first the dense forests caused the building of many sawmills to utilize the abundance of timber.
Others of the first settlers were Joshua Brink, Robert & John Moore, William Eager, Samuel Rogers John Keeler, Daniel Whiteman, Peter Robinson, Jonathan Hartzell and Daniel Jackson. The house of Daniel Jackson for some years after 1833 was all that existed of the village of Benton. After the settlement of Sugarloaf and the growth of the second generation of the families, the McHenrys, Hesses, Laubachs and others of that township moved into and helped to populate Benton Township.
2.”Posted by Heather Truckenmiller, Benton Pennsylvania, History By Town.”
Population 1323 as of the 2020 Census. Miles of roads-44.31 plus turnback-9.66 Total 53.97 miles of roads.