The City of Benson is a charming small town in southeastern Arizona, that you pass through on your way to Bisbee and Tombstone. Benson is a great place to stop and look at the many murals and signs showing the town’s old west heritage and their historic railroad murals.
Let’s take a look at Benson and their cool signs and historical murals.
What is Benson’s Old West and Railroad Heritage Murals
The History of Benson
Founded in 1880, Benson developed as a stopping point for the Butterfield Overland Stage mail delivery route. It soon thereafter became a hub for the Southern Pacific Railroad where they began their railroad operations in the area. By 1894, Benson was a major transportation hub with three major railroads. Without the train coming through Benson, the town wouldn’t even exist.
The new Benson Town in 1880 had modest structures, including the two-store Benson Hotel, along with several stores and saloons. The town was named after a California Judge named William B. Benson, who got involved in mining operations in Arizona, California, Idaho, and Mexico.
They have a deep, important appreciation for the railroads and those supporting the industry in Benson.
Mining Industry
Benson was a supply center to the mines lincluding the Johnson, Patagonia, Helvetia, and Yellowstone mining districts. This includes the Tombstone and Bisbee mines, in the late 1800s and the early 1900s.
The Arizona Smelting and Power Company, in Benson, treated silver and gold ore with high lead content from various mines. The Smelter was up and running in 1882, but within 10 years it sat idle as there wasn’t a good supply of feedstock ore, along with the fluxing iron ore needed for operation.
Painting Murals
The Benson Clean and Beautiful Committee arranged the painting of historic murals on blank walls around Benson. They commissioned local artist Doug Quarles to do the painting. Take a few minutes to check out all these murals on the Old West heritage and railroad history in Benson. And drop on over to the BensonVisitorCenter.com where they have some really good descriptions on all the murals.
Note that Doug Quarles is a local artist and has an art gallery in Benson.
Benson Visitors Center/Train Depot
The Visitors Center is located on east Fourth Street in Benson, which is considered their historic downtown. Many of the murals are present on this street. The Visitors Center/Train Depot was designed and built using many of the same architectural features as the original depot that was built over a century ago. It is a beautiful replica railroad depot.
Benson’s Tourism Committee wanted their Visitors Center to showcase their traditional railroad heritage. They requested a grant through the Union Pacific Foundation and received funding to hang 96 feet of track inside the Visitor Center. A G-Scale locomotive was also set up to welcome the guests. Visitors can operate the training using controls like a real train so it is a great interactive exhibit that the entire family will enjoy.
Recognition
The town has three distinct historical districts that include the Apache Powder Historic Residential District, the Benson Railroad Historic District, both listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and the Benson Historic Barrio district listed in 2011..
Where is Benson, AZ Located?
Benson’s just off I-10, and again, if you’re heading from Tucson down to Tombstone and Bisbee, you take the State Highway 80 exit, and right there is the town of Benson. Benson is located in southern Arizona in Cochise County.
Benson is home of Kartchner Caverns State Park which features a show cave with 2.4 miles of passages along with various activities including picnicking, camping, hiking, and walking. It is located 9 miles north of the State Park on State route 90. The Park is located on 550 acres in the foothills of the Whetstone Mountains.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt the city of Benson’s proud of their old west heritage and railroad history. If you pass it through, make sure you stop by and check out these colorful murals. It’s well worth the 15 minutes to explore them.
Look, if you like this content, you want to check out all our other videos covering Tucson and surrounding attractions, including the Saguaro National Park and Trails, the old Bisbee Mining Town and Mine Tour, Tombstone with its Cemetery and Old Town Atmosphere, the San Xavier Del Bac Mission Church, and our favorite, Hacienda Linda Bed and Breakfast.
If you like murals, like we do, you will want to check out the Pensacola, FL Graffiti Bridge (17th Avenue), the abandoned Anasazi Inn Gray Mountain, or the Two Guns Graffiti Gas Station and KOA Pool.
Remember to comment below if you visited Benson and checked out their heritage on display. Give us your thoughts on Benson, AZ.
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