The town was founded on January 31, 1764.             
The original town name was Coventry named             
after Coventry, Connecticut, home town to            
many of the first settlers who arrived shortly            
after the beginning of the Revolution. The            
town's name was changed to Benton on            
December 4, 1840 in honor of Thomas Hart            
Benton the Missouri senator who championed            
the American  westward expansion.            
            
Benton has the largest land area of any small            
town in New Hampshire. The town is             
literally split in half by the White Mountain            
National Forest and is crossed by the             
Appalachian Trail.   

          ​

Vital Statistics            
Population: 244 (2010 census)(Glencliff home residents

are wards of the state of NH)       
County: Grafton            
Elevation:     1,272 feet        
Highest point: Mount Moosilauke, 4,802 feet            
Population density: 7.5 per sq. mile            
Government: Board of Selectmen​