County of city: Scott County
Location of city hall: Winchester St. & Tywappity St., courthouse lawn, Benton
Location of city: just N. of center in county; crossroads of US-61 & MO-E, MO-77
Founded: 1822
Named for Thomas hart Benton, First US Senator from Missouri
Elevation: 436 ft (133 m)
Population: 858 (2017)
"Benton: The county seat of Scott County in the central part of Moreland Township. The first settlement was made in 1796 by Captain Charles Friend. The town was laid out in 1822 on land owned by Colonel Wm. Meyers and named for Thomas Hart Benton (1782-1858), one of the first senators from Missouri, who served from 1820-1850." ~ History of Southeast Missouri, Douglass Vol. I, pp. 108, 179, 290
"Benton, 5 miles northeast of Morley, formerly the county seat ... had one of the best school houses in the county, also 1 M. E. Church, South, 1 store, 1 tannery, 1 carding machine and 1 carpenter shop. Population about 150 (1874)." ~ Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, Campbell, p. 597.
"The town of Benton was laid out in 1822, upon land owned by Col. William Rogers ... Among the first residents of the town were Edmund Rogers, who built a log tavern ... John Houts ... who ... ran a tanyard; Michael McLaughlin, who sold goods ... The first physicians were John Goulding and Samuel Chapman ... Benton was incorporated by the county court in April, 1860 ... The corporation was allowed to lapse and was not revived until November, 1880. In 1878, by a vote of the people, the seat of justice was removed to Benton." ~ History of Southeast Missouri, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 303, 353, 354, 462.
It is located at Sec. 18, R. 14 E & Sec. 13, R 13 E in Twp. 28 N, at the junction of 61, 77 & E." ~ General Highway Map of Scott County, issued by the Missouri State Highway Department, 8-1-65.
"Benton, the county seat, laid out in 1822, is named for Thomas Hart Benton, one of Missouri’s first U.S. Senators. From 1864-78 the county seat was located at Commerce, a town laid out 1823 on Mississippi River. Long known as Tywappity, the townsite was a trading post and river landing by 1803. There was formed the first Baptist Church in what is now Missouri, 1805." ~ State Historical Society of Missouri