Benton is a town in, and the
parish seat of,
Bossier Parish, in the
U.S. state of
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. The population was 2,048 in 2020.
The town is named for 19th century
U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton, a
Democrat from
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and an ally of
U.S. President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
.
History
On
April 3, 1999, a powerful
F4 tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
roared through portions of the town killing six people and injuring 90. A mobile home park located south of town and homes near the Palmetto Country Club were devastated. Neighborhoods affected included Haymeadow Trailer Park, Palmetto Park/Palmetto Place (adjacent to the country club), Bay Hills, Woodlake South, Twin Lake Community, and many other newer lakefront homes located around Cypress Lake. The population of Benton lakefront area nearly doubled between 2004 and 2008.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,048 people, 850 households, and 516 families residing in the town.
Education
The community is in the
Bossier Parish School District.
Benton Elementary School's attendance zone includes almost all of Benton. A small portion of Benton is within the boundary of Kingston Elementary School. All of Benton is in the attendance zones of: Benton Intermediate School, Benton Middle School, and
Benton High School.
Bossier Parish is in the areas of
Bossier Parish Community College and Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.
Notable people
*
Billy Bretherton,
Entomologist
Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
and co-owner of Vexcon Inc.
*
Mike Johnson
James Michael Johnson (born January 30, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2023. A member ...
,
56th Speaker of the US House of Representatives
*
Henry Warren Ogden,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
-born planter in Benton and politician
*
Ford E. Stinson, former state representative
*
Jeff R. Thompson, former state representative and judge
References
{{Commons category, Benton, Louisiana
*
Towns in Bossier Parish, Louisiana
Towns in Louisiana
Parish seats in Louisiana
Towns in Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area