Benton Franklin County, Illinois |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Franklin County
Clerk |
 |
| Historic Significance: | Event |
| Area of Significance: | Law |
| Period of Significance: | 1900-1924, 1925-1949 |
| Owner: | Private |
| Historic Function: | Government |
| Historic Sub-function: | Correctional Facility |
| Current Function: | Recreation And Culture |
| Current Sub-function: | Museum |
| * Jail has been restored to original 1905 condition * Home of the Franklin Tourism Bureau. * Civil War Memorbilia, John A. Logan historical items, and local history items. * Room dedicated to Doug Collins a high school, college, and professional basketball standout , who spent his childhood in the area and lived in the mansion while his father was sheriff. His one-time bedroom has been converted into a room dedicated to his basketball career. * 17-foot monument to Gen. Logan and the 209 Union Soldiers from Franklin County who died to preserve the nation. * On April 19, 1928 Benton was the site of the last public hanging in Illinois, when local gangster Charles Birger was executed on the gallows next to the county jail for the December 12, 1926 murder of Joe Adams, mayor of nearby West City, Illinois. *Memorbilia from Prohibition, gangs, and Charlie Birger in the 1920's. *A new jail was built in 1991 |
|
| Exhibits old radio equipment from
station WFRX that was used when the Beatles' George Harrison visited
the area in 1963 and the station played the first Beatle record in the
U.S., "From Me to You." In September 1963, George Harrison(20 years old), of The Beatles spent a summer vacation at the home of his sister, Louise Harrison at 113 McCann Street, Benton, Illinois. The bungalow is now the Hard Day's Night Bed and Breakfast. This visit allowed the star to have his first interview at WFRX station on the famous Saturday Session radio show with Marsha Shaffer, who also played the first Beatles record in Benton in September of that year. During his visit, Harrison also performed with the 4 Vests band at Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Eldorado, Illinois. In an interview, Harrison's sister Louise said "his real first visit to America was when he came to the midwest in September of 1963 and he met these wonderful, warm, friendly, real warm Midwesterners... school teachers, retired miners and all kinds of just wonderful people... and a little band." He had a fantastic time. He thought they were just wonderful people. The picture to your left shows this historical event available on DVD. |
The garage was built in 1910 as Franklin County's first Ford Dealership. The building, which contains
about 90 % of its original equiptment, has been restored as an automobile showroom and machine shop of that
era. 
| Public Library 502 S. Main Benton, IL 62812 618/4387511 |
Benton Evening News 111 E. Church Benton, IL 62918 |
| Franklin County Hist. Pres. Society PO Box 1641 209 W Main St Benton, IL 62812 |
Rend Lake Conservancy District POBox 907 11231 Marcum Branch Rd Benton, IL 62812 |
