We are Benson Utah

The heart of Cache Valley

Settlement of Benson

Before Benson was settled, this part of the county was used as a herd ground; in fact, the land west to Newton and as far north as Weston, was used for grazing of livestock, mostly cattle. A number of the cattle herds from Logan were grazed here.

In the early spring of 1871, a number of families began to build their homes in the east side of the river. These first families were Charles Reese, W. G. Reese, Charles A. Reese, George Thomas and his son George Thomas (Was President of the University of Utah); Isreal J. Clark and sons, Cy, Edmund and John Clark. The following year Jeremiah Hatch located in the west side. This area was also known as Riverside and King (King post Office)

Jim Bridger after a rendezvous in the Cove area bravely rode the wild rushing river through Benson to the Great Salt Lake where he thought he came to the Pacific Ocean. He assumed the salty water was sea water. When the early white settlers arrived in Cache Valley they learned that Native Americans claimed the valley floor as their hunting and fishing grounds. This being so the early settlements were near the mountains. Benson then was settled late compared to other cities in the area. The Bear River serpentine nature and rushing current ( it was before the cutler reservoir) made it difficult to cross. Benson was first settled in three distinct areas. one group settled in the southwest portion, one across the river to the north and the third group was eastern part.

About us

Called Benson

Alma Harris, nephew of Martin Harris the Book of Mormon witness, was appointed as the first Bishop of Benson. The settlement was organized by Apostle Moses Thatcher and Bishop William B. Preston, of Logan. Bishop Preston suggested that the settlement be named “Benson” after Apostle Ezra T. Benson. Ezra owned land in the area.

Early years

The early settlers of Lewiston, always made Benson as their stopover in traveling to and from the other Valley. At certain times of the year the roads were almost impassable. At the time of the settlement of Benson, David Reese and Joseph Thatcher had a ranch north of the present meeting house across Bear River. They had quite a large herd of cattle.

Ferry over the Bear River

David Reese and Joseph Thatcher operated a ferry boat across Bear River near the present Amalga bridge. It was used a good deal by the settlers from Lewiston and Trenton; also by the people from Newton and Clarkston, until a bridge was built across Bear River in the southwest part of Benson. The ferry boat was pulled across the river with a rope attached to a team of horses, or mules, pulling from the opposite bank. The charge for transporting a team across the river was twenty-five cents.

Native inhabitants

The early native inhabitants of Cache Valley were the Northwestern band of the Shoshone who spoke a Shoshone-Comanche dialect of the Ute-Aztecan language group. The Shoshone’s nomadic lifestyle made them rely upon ancient food gathering cycles that brought them to Benson and surrounding areas of Cache Valley in the early spring to gather roots, bulbs, berries, seeds and edible green plants. They fished the streams for trout (tsapankwi) and sucker fish (amwok). They hunted buffalo, deer, elk, bear, beaver and other animals. During the summer the Shoshone harvested seeds from the luxuriant grasses that grew in the center of the valley.

Fur trappers described the Shoshone as brave, robust, active,and shrewd. Osborne Russell, a trapper in the 1830’s portrayed them as, “kind and hospitable to whites, thankful for favors, indignant at injuries.” He also reported that Shoshone women were “cheerful, affectionate to their husbands, and very fond of their children.” The white man settlement on Shoshone ancestral lands during the 1850’s created a clash that eventually destroyed the Shoshone old way of life.

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Points of interest

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Contact

In Benson we have two wards for the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Benson First Ward includes the west side. Benson Second Ward includes the east side. There is also a Benson Culinary water board. You can contact them at (435) 753-4271

Our Address

Benson Church, 3472 North 3000 West

Email Us

bensonutahhistory@gmail.com

Call webmaster

(435) 881-2508