Benton Township lies east of Browning and south of Ewing, taking its name from the
county-seat that is within its limits. The township was not settled as rapidly as the surrounding
townships. A. D. Dollins. entered land in Benton Township in 1828, but William King was the first settler.
Wm. Drummond, John R. Williams, Abraham Ray, W. A. Swofford, and Braxton Parrish
came into the township at a very early date.


Braxton Parrish was a pioneer Methodist preacher who came from North Carolins to Tennessee and thence to Illinois, settling in the eastern part of the township.

The Mooneyhams, Whittingtons, Espys, Browning, Smiths, Baxters, Vances, Halls, Lampleys,
Stilleys, Moores, Todds, Sweets, Jones, Swoffords and Smothers are prominent families in the
development of the township.

Benton Township has five large coal mines within its limits and two cities, Benton and Logan.

The city of Benton - the county-seat - has three important railroads, the Illinois Central R.R. and the Iron Mountain.

Logan five miles east of the city of Benton, is a city of 1,500 people. They have an up-to-date coal mine owned by the John A. Logan Coal Co. The city has a excellent school building
and the town is growing very rapidly.

The schools of Benton Township are Gresham, Mt. Zion, Rolloson, McGuyre, Benton, Middle
Fork, Franklin, Logan, Crown Point, Dixon, Poor Farm and Clem. The churches are: Baptist - Benton, New Hope, Mt. Zion, Logan; Methodist - Logan and Benton; Christian - Benton.

Politically Benton Township Democratic but Republican often elect part of the ticket. The present supervisor is Frank Easley.

[(1918) Franklin County History Centennial Edition by H.M. AIKEN]