Benson

Formed March 9, 1883 (35^th county)

Benson County (5,951), Minnewaukan (193), Leeds (443)

The pleasant brown brick structure was built in 1900.  It is located on a square at B Avenue, 3^rd Street, East Avenue, and 4^th Street.  United States Highway 281 is two blocks to the east.  W. G. Russell provided the Richardsonian Romanesque designs.  The structure features a tower.  The county was founded on March 9, 1883 as the 35^th county.  Minnewaukan has always been the county seat.  There was an 1888 courthouse earlier.  The county is named for Territorial Legislator B. W. Benson.  Minnewaukan is the Native American word for Devils Lake. 

Benson County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, McHenry, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Renville, Rolette, Towner, and Walsh counties and a court clerk serves Benson County (judicial.)  The county is in northeast North Dakota.  Bismarck, North Dakota is southwest and Grand Forks, North Dakota is east of the county.  The county center is 10.8 miles West of Minnewaukan nearer Harlow.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Towner, Ramsey, Nelson, Eddy, Wells, and Pierce counties. 

The area of the county is 1389 square miles.  It is 19 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 21 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 4.3 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 53 in the state.  Benson County has 22.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 2 crosses the northern part of the county from Ramsey County, east, to Pierce County, west.  United States Highway 281 goes north to south from Towner County to Eddy County.  The county looks like the blade of a snow shovel.  Minnewaukan is located near the geographical center of the county.  Leeds is in the northern quarter of the county.  Minnewaukan is the county seat and Leeds is the largest city.  Minnewaukan is 3.2% of the county population while Leeds is 7.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MIN-NEE-WA-KAN.