Towns / Cities
All Information from the Book "North Dakota Place Names" by Douglas A Wick

This was a rural settlement on the Red River in Section 4-149-49 Bentru Township, eight miles east of Thompson and named for its township which was named for Halvor Hanson Bentru, who came here from Iowa with his family in June 1871. The post office was established June 23, 1900 with Torkel A Torkelson postmaster and it closed August 14, 1906 with mail to Thompson. A population of 10 was listed in 1920.

This was a country store run by Erik K Larsgaard in SE1/4 Section 29-149-49, Bentru Township, eight miles east of Reynolds in the extreme South East Corner of the county. Settlers wondered why Mr. Larsgaard was erecting the store on his land, and he would always answer, "Why Not?" He painted this statement in large letters on the front of the store to attract attention. When he established a rural post office in the store on May 6, 1892, the choice of name was easy. In 1900 it moved one mile Northwest to SW1/4 Section 21-149-49, the home of new Postmaster John H Alfson and closed January 15, 1907 with mail to Reynolds.

Benton Town Hall  Section 20

Business History

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Rosendahl Cemetery  Section 33    Map

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