Benson, Vermont
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Benson is a town in
Rutland County, Vermont Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland. ...
, United States. The population was 974 at the 2020 census. The town is rural, with a concentration of several homes and businesses in Benson village, at the intersection of Stage Road and Lake Road. Benson village is the centerpiece of a complex local economy that includes a taco truck, the Wheel Inn tavern, the G & L general store, a museum, a town transfer station, a do-it-yourself furniture store, a library, three antique stores, and a quaint bed and breakfast throughout the town's main road.


Government

As is the tradition of many towns in rural New England, the municipal government enjoys a degree of autonomy from the county and employs only a few essential service-providers. The democratically elected selectboard and town clerk decide on an annual budget for road crews, educators, and law enforcers. Town committees set the protocols of town policy with particular focus on the town's annual budget, which is decided annually on Town Meeting Day. The Town Meeting is an assembly of all adult registered voters in the town, and the assembly usually draws a crowd approaching 40 citizens. These forty citizens help to determine the direction of town planning, in particular the areas of road maintenance, public safety, fire protection, public holidays, local taxation, communication, housing and development, agriculture, foreign policy, rural electrification, fence viewing, tourism, tungsten extraction, and the maintenance and safety of the town dump. On the state level, Benson is currently a part of the Addison-Rutland-1 district and represented in the Vermont House of Representatives by Will Stevens (I-Shoreham). As part of Rutland County, it is represented in the State Senate by Senator Peg Flory (R), Senator Brian Collamore (R), and Senator Kevin Mullin (R). Traditionally, Benson's politics have trended to the right, but a growing
alt-right The alt-right, an abbreviation of alternative right, is a far-right, white nationalist movement. A largely online phenomenon, the alt-right originated in the United States during the late 2000s before increasing in popularity during the mid-2 ...
or
Third Position The Third Position is a set of neo-fascist political ideologies that were first described in Western Europe following the Second World War. Developed in the context of the Cold War, it developed its name through the claim that it represented a ...
movement among some members of the town has led them to reconsider the orientation of the town towards the areas of road maintenance, public safety, fire protection, public holidays, local taxation, communication, housing and development, agriculture, foreign policy, rural electrification, fence viewing, tourism, tungsten extraction, and the maintenance and safety of the town dump.


Public safety

The town employs a town constable, but most law enforcement is handled by the
Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police (VSP) is the state police agency for the US state of Vermont. The force has jurisdiction throughout the entire state. The Vermont Public Safety Commission directs policy and selects the commander. The commander is Colone ...
. The amount of crime in Benson is negligible when compared with the nearby communities of Orwell and Shoreham who respectively ranked second and tenth in recidivism and repeat offenders as of 2012. Even so, Benson has faced the growing drug epidemic in rural New England, and the use of illegal substances is on the rise across all ages and demographics. Ambulance services are provided by Benson First Response and the Fair Haven Rescue Squad. The nearest hospitals are
Rutland Regional Medical Center Rutland Regional Medical Center is the second largest hospital and the largest community hospital A community hospital can be purely a nominal designation or have a more specific meaning. When specific, it refers to a hospital that is accessible to ...
and Middlebury's historic
Porter Hospital Porter Medical Center, also known as Porter Hospital, is a 45-bed critical access hospital located in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded by banker William Henry Porter to serve as a dual community hospital and infirmary to nearby Middlebury College, th ...
. Benson also operates a small, entirely volunteer fire department, who respond to more motor vehicle crashes then fires. This volunteer department also sponsors an ice and swift water rescue team. . Assistance in fighting particularly large fires is provided by other neighboring volunteer fire departments, including Fair Haven, Castleton, Hubbardton,
West Haven West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
and
Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitari ...
, and Poultney. Similarly, Benson's volunteer firefighters occasionally respond to large blazes and calls for water rescue in other local towns when the opportunity presents itself.


Politics

A majority of Benson's residents voted against
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, according to the ''
Rutland Herald The ''Rutland Herald'' is the second largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Vermont (after ''The Burlington Free Press''). It is published in Rutland. With a daily circulation of about 12,000, it is the main source of news geared towards ...
''. Simultaneously, Benson voters supported Republican Governor
Jim Douglas James Holley Douglas (born June 21, 1951) is an American politician from the state of Vermont. A Republican, he served the 80th governor of Vermont from 2003 to 2011. On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election fo ...
and Independent Senator
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
. As was the trend in the rest of Rutland County, voters were split on the issue of state senators, with
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Bill Carris and Republicans Hull P. Maynard, Jr. and Kevin J. Mullin receiving votes in numbers consistent with their county-wide victories.


Economy

The local economy is driven by a number of small businesses centered in the central village center also known as the central business district centered on the intersection of Center Road and Stage Road. The former C.J. Williamson store, a local greengrocery and gas station began the town's economic development and differentiation from the greater Fair Haven area. The Williamson store opened in 1912, shortly after the proprietor survived a bear attack while hiking in the Green Mountains. The Williamson store was soon joined by a tavern known as the Wheel Inn, which provides American fare and serves as the center of local intrigue. On the same site, there was an
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
-era public house that served as a meeting place for American and British soldiers during the tense 1770s. Other restaurants, such as a sandwich shop came and went, but the Wheel Inn remained in near-constant operation through the 2010s. Other economic engines of the town include a convenience store, and an herbal
tobacconist A tobacconist, also called a tobacco shop, a tobacconist's shop or a smoke shop, is a retailer of tobacco products in various forms and the related accoutrements, such as pipes, lighters, matches, pipe cleaners, and pipe tampers. More specia ...
.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.36%, is water. Benson has of town roads. The Benson Sycamore Tree is a local institution, located on Stage Road at the former estate of
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
John Trutor. Before Lieutenant Colonel Trutor purchased the property on Stage Road, it was a local inn that served tourists who trekked through the state's roads and railways. Two of the most famous individuals who stayed at the inn were John Blackburn and
Karl Suessdorf Karl A. Suessdorf (April 28, 1911 – February 25, 1982) was an American songwriter. Biography The son of Henry F. Suessdorf, he was born in Valdez, Alaska, United States, where his father operated from 1907 to 1917 the Copper Block Buffet, a ...
, who wrote the song " Moonlight in Vermont" while staying at the inn. Blackburn and Seussdorf memorialized the Sycamore tree, a massive
specimen Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
, in the song's lyrics. A small plaque makes reference to this historical moment of musicianship on Stage Road, opposite the home.


History

In 1777, Walter Durfee, a Revolutionary War veteran from Massachusetts, made the first settlement in Benson. At that time the only road in town was the military road from Castleton to Ticonderoga, over which General St. Clair’s army passed on its retreat after the evacuation of Ticonderoga, on July 6, 1777. Durfee found his way through the woods by a bridle path made by the surveyors and followed their marks on the trees. During the summer and autumn of 1782, he was the only person who had a settled habitation in the town. He was originally from Freetown, Massachusetts but moved to Benson from Poultney. In 1780 he purchased the entire right of Isaac Clark, one of the original proprietors of Benson; and also the entire right of John G Rover, another original proprietor. In the spring of 1782, Durfee cleared the primeval forest and erected a log house on what was afterward known as the Home Farm. Durfee continued to reside on that farm until the spring of 1835 when he moved to West Chazy, New York, where he died in the summer of 1843, aged over 90 years. In the spring of 1783 Jonathan Meacham and Captain James Noble and his son, James Noble, Jr., came to Benson, and made preparations for settlement; and it is believed that they were removed here with their families in the autumn of that year. While nobody seems to be quite sure as to the precise origin of the town's name, most historians over the years have speculated that it was named for Egbert Benson, a respected lawyer and Revolutionary War officer, who was instrumental in negotiating the land claim which New York had made to Vermont—a congressionally mandated prerequisite for Vermont joining the Union as a state of its own, rather than being divided between New York and
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. Benson residents have entered into some disputes over the history of the town in the recent publication "Remembering Benson" over the origin of the town's name. Lilian Snyder Philips Smith, who moved to Benson in 1948, claimed that her late husband Percy Phillips' great-great-grandfather Benson Philips was an early selectman responsible for chartering the town's first primary school in 1813. This was contradicted by Leonard Lussier, who questioned Mrs. Snyder Philips Smith's account as "probably malarkey." Benson's political history has been checkered with
Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...
, Republican, Progressive, and Know Nothing sentiments. Local Historian Genevieve Trutor expressed surprise at Benson's progressive streak, noting that the brief tenure of 1920s representative Susannah W. Nifong was surprising to locals as well as anyone who might consider the prevalent political conditions at the time. Mrs. Trutor was an active feminist agitator during her own time, arguing for women to be engaged in front-line combat during World War II. The 1976
United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
celebrations became a point of great national and town pride, as the town's rivalry with neighboring Orwell intensified over which town would hold a better celebration. Although there was no formal victor, Benson's parade still maintains an important part in the town's history, while Orwell's Chicken Dinner has been largely forgotten. Benson's economy fell into a slump that it would not recover from until the late 2000s. In 1994, the town became briefly infamous for failing to approve its school budget eighteen times before it finally passed, a national record at the time.


Benson Village Historic District

In 1978
Benson Village
was officially entered on the National Register of Historic Places.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,039 people, persons or individuals, 391 households, homes, and domiciles, and 272 families or groups of relatives residing in the town. The population density was 23.6 people per square mile (9.1/km2). There were 519 housing units at an average density of 11.8 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.92%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.67%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.38% Native American, 0.29%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.19% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.87% of the population. There were 391 households, out of which 35.8% had children, kids, young people, or infants under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was an elder senior citizen of age 65 years of age or older than 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,224, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $31,488 versus $21,146 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $15,931. About 8.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.


Infrastructure

Benson has one public school, which offers classes from pre-school through fifth grade. High school students attend the nearby
Fair Haven Union High School The Fair Haven Union High School (FHUHS) is a public high school located in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. It serves about 350 students from the towns of Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by ...
. A small but well-maintained museum is housed in the town's municipal building, on the site of the former Benson Grade School. Also contained in this municipal building are the town offices and Town Clerk. Next door is the Community Hall, which provides a public meeting place and contains the town library. The State of Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains Benson Landing, a boat launch on
Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...
.


Notable people

* Charles A. Corbett, Wisconsin State Assemblyman, was born in Benson *
Stephen Wallace Dorsey Stephen Wallace Dorsey (February 28, 1842March 20, 1916) was a Republican politician who represented Arkansas in the United States Senate from 1873 to 1879, during the Reconstruction era. He was born in Benson in Rutland County, Vermont, and ...
, US senator from Arkansas, born in Benson * William B. Franke, Secretary of the Navy, retired in Benson *
Rufus Wilmot Griswold Rufus Wilmot Griswold (February 13, 1815 – August 27, 1857) was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and critic. Born in Vermont, Griswold left home when he was 15 years old. He worked as a journalist, editor, and critic in Philadelphia, New Y ...
, anthologist, editor, and critic; known for his enmity with
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
* Rebecca Wilder Holmes, violinist and music professor at
Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...
* Loyal C. Kellogg, Associate Justice of the
Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...
, lifelong resident of Benson * Stone Phillips, broadcast journalist, former co-anchor
Dateline NBC ''Dateline NBC'' is a weekly American television news magazine/reality legal show that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship general interest news magazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasio ...
, longtime seasonal residentRutland Herald, October 1, 1994, p.3


References

{{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Rutland County, Vermont