Benjamin, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin, Texas
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Knox County Courthouse in Benjamin
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Knox |
| Incorporated (city) | 1928 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.05 sq mi (2.72 km2) |
| • Land | 1.05 sq mi (2.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,476 ft (450 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 196 |
| • Density | 186.7/sq mi (72.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
79505
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| Area code(s) | 940 |
| FIPS code | 48-07636 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1351877 |
Benjamin is a small city located in Knox County, Texas, in the United States. It's special because it's the county seat of Knox County. This means it's where the main government offices for the county are.
In 2020, only 196 people lived in Benjamin. This makes it the county seat with the fewest people in all of Texas!
Contents
The Story of Benjamin
Benjamin was started in 1884 by a man named Hilory G. Bedford. He was the head of a company called the Wichita and Brazos Stock Company. Mr. Bedford named the town after his son, Benjamin, who had sadly passed away.
To get more people to move there, Bedford gave away land to his company's owners. He also set aside land for a town square. When Knox County was officially formed in 1886, Benjamin was chosen to be its county seat. A school also opened that same year.
An old jail from 1887 is still standing today, but it's now a private home. The town officially became a city in 1928. By 1930, its population had grown to 485 people.
Two important buildings, the courthouse (built in 1938) and the school (built in 1942), were built with help from the Works Projects Administration. This was a government program that created jobs during a tough economic time. The new courthouse replaced an older stone building from 1888. Benjamin's population reached its highest point in 1940 with 599 residents. After that, the number of people living there slowly went down.
Where is Benjamin Located?
Benjamin is found right where two major roads meet: U.S. Highway 82 and State Highway 6. It's in the middle of Knox County.
If you're looking at a map, Benjamin is about 90 miles north of Abilene. It's also about 160 miles west of Fort Worth. And it's 85 miles southwest of Wichita Falls.
The city covers a total area of about 1.0 square mile (2.72 square kilometers). All of this area is land, with no large bodies of water.
Weather in Benjamin
Benjamin has a semiarid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not a full desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot.
Who Lives in Benjamin?
Here's how Benjamin's population has changed over the years:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 485 | — | |
| 1940 | 599 | 23.5% | |
| 1950 | 530 | −11.5% | |
| 1960 | 338 | −36.2% | |
| 1970 | 308 | −8.9% | |
| 1980 | 257 | −16.6% | |
| 1990 | 225 | −12.5% | |
| 2000 | 264 | 17.3% | |
| 2010 | 258 | −2.3% | |
| 2020 | 196 | −24.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
According to the 2020 census, there were 196 people living in Benjamin. These people made up 78 households, and 45 of those were families.
Most people in Benjamin are White (78.57%). There are also Black or African American residents (3.06%), Asian residents (0.51%), and people of mixed backgrounds (2.04%). About 15.82% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
Fun Things to See and Do
If you visit Benjamin, you can check out the Knox County Museum. It's inside the county courthouse. The museum has a cool collection of old barbed wire and other items from the frontier days.
There's also the Knox County Veterans Memorial. This monument honors all the brave people from Knox County who served in the military. It remembers veterans from the Spanish–American War all the way up to today's conflicts. You can find it where U.S. Highway 82 and State Highway 6 meet.
Benjamin also has Moorhouse Park, which was opened in 1965. Another interesting spot is called the Narrows, located about four miles east of the city. These places are popular for visitors.
Famous Faces from Benjamin
A well-known Texas photographer named Wyman Meinzer lives in Benjamin. He is famous for his amazing photos of Texas wildlife and landscapes.
Learning in Benjamin
Students in Benjamin attend schools run by the Benjamin Independent School District. The local high school is Benjamin High School, and their sports teams are known as the Mustangs!
See also
In Spanish: Benjamin (Texas) para niños
