benton county history

Municipal Park along the Mississippi River on the north end of Sauk Rapids is a very popular park. However, at one point that was a completely different townsite.

You can't call Benton City a ghost town, because hundreds of people still live there, but it is definitely a forgotten city for most of us.

Later this month Sauk Rapids will mark the 135th anniversary of the deadly tornado that devastated the town. The storm happened at about 4:00 p.m. on April 14th, 1886.

Over 100 years ago a little country store popped up in rural Benton County and the humble beginnings of the town of "Jakeville" began.

For a short time in the middle of Benton County's Watab Township there used to be a town by the same name. Watab was built at the same time as Sauk Rapids and both were incorporated in 1854.