Benton, Alabama
town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States
Benton is a town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 41 at the 2020 census, down from 49 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), of which 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (8.82%) is water.
History
Settled in 1832 on land owned by James Maull, it was initially known as Maull's Landing, before it was renamed and incorporated as Benton in 1834. It was named after Thomas Hart Benton, then the U.S. Senator from Missouri, who had served under General Andrew Jackson in the Creek Campaign. During the steamboat era, it was a major trading stop along the Alabama River.
Maull's son, Edward, auctioned off lots in 1855, that were incorporated into the town. The earliest year any population figures were returned by the U.S. Census for the area (below the county level) was in 1870, when Benton Beat (then one of ten divisions in Lowndes County) returned 2,627 residents, the majority of whom were newly emancipated blacks.
In 1880, Lowndes County was subdivided further into 20 beats (precincts), and the Benton Beat fell to 1,094 residents. In 1890, it declined to 994, and for the first time, the town of Benton was reported separately with a population of 265.
The public source identifies “Benton, Alabama” as town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Benton, Alabama and town.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Benton, Alabama”, the useful work is to connect “town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q67269. Authority coordinates are 32.306, -86.818. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 2010, 1832 and 1834.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Benton, Alabama”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Benton, Alabama primary sources, Benton, Alabama archive and Benton research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Benton, Alabama”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Benton, Alabama” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.