Benjamin, Texas
| Benjamin, Texas | |
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| City | |
Knox County Courthouse in Benjamin
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 Location of Benjamin, Texas |
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| Coordinates: 33°35′0″N 99°47′36″W / 33.58333°N 99.79333°WCoordinates: 33°35′0″N 99°47′36″W / 33.58333°N 99.79333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Knox |
| Incorporated (city) | 1928 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Misty Weiser | Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.0 sq mi (2.7 km2) |
| • Land | 1.0 sq mi (2.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,476 ft (450 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 258 |
| • Density | 258.0/sq mi (95.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 79505 |
| Area code(s) | 940 |
| FIPS code | 48-07636 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1351877 |
Benjamin is a city in Knox County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Knox County. The population was 258 at the 2010 census.
The community was founded in 1884 by Hilory G. Bedford, president and controlling stockholder in the Wichita and Brazos Stock Company. He named it Benjamin after his son who had been killed by lightning. To attract additional settlers, Bedford gave his stockholders a fifty-acre tract of land and set aside forty more acres for a town square. Benjamin was designed as the Knox County seat when it was organized in 1886. A school opened in 1886 as well. A jail built in 1887 still stands as a private residence and the old bank stands next to the Sheriff's Office. Benjamin was incorporated in 1928 and the population was 485 in the 1930 census. Two structures in the community, a courthouse (1938) and school building (1942), were constructed with Works Projects Administration (WPA) labor. That courthouse replaced the previous stone structure built in 1888. The number of inhabitants reached a high of 599 in 1940, but that figure slowly decreased during the latter half of the twentieth century.
Benjamin is situated at the junction of U.S. Highway 82 and State Highway 6 in central Knox County, approximately 90 miles north of Abilene and 85 miles southwest of Wichita Falls.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2), all of it land.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Benjamin has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
As of the census of 2000, there were 264 people, 97 households, and 64 families residing in the city. The population density was 254.5 people per square mile (98.0/km2). There were 119 housing units at an average density of 114.7 per square mile (44.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.77% White, 3.03% African American, 1.89% Asian, 4.92% from other races, and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.36% of the population.
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