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Thursday 10am - 2pm Friday 10am - 2pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

http://bensonhistoricalmuseum.org/

Benson Historical Museum, 180 San Pedro Street, Benson, AZ (2026)

09/29/2026

Benson’s talented People — Soledad Wo

Benson has always been home to many talented people- painters, writers, musicians, craftsmen, and others whose talents were sometimes known only to those closest to them.

Today, we want to share a little of Soledad's story: she was not only an important part of her family’s business, helping run the store after her father passed away, but also a writer.

Writing was one of the many things Soledad enjoyed, and among her writings is this beautiful little poem about friendship:

“It takes a friend who really shares,
Whose close in every way,
A friend who really truly cares,
What happens day by day.
It takes a friend who’s tried and true,
On whom one can depend,
It takes a friend who’s just like you,
To make a special friend.”

Sometimes, what people wrote gives us a glimpse of who they were beyond their everyday lives. Soledad’s words remind us that the people of Benson had talents, thoughts, and creative sides that are worth remembering and sharing.

Preserving Benson’s history, one story at a time.
The Museum has her poetry collection.

09/18/2026

Remembering Those Who Never Came Home

Today, as we observe POW/MIA Recognition Day, we remember the men and women who served our country and never returned home.

The Missing Man Table is a symbol of remembrance for those who are missing, captured, or still unaccounted for. Each element of the table carries a special meaning, reminding us that these service members are not forgotten and that their families have carried their absence for generations.

As we honor the POWs whose stories we have shared, we also pause to remember those whose stories remain unfinished.

They are not forgotten.

09/18/2026

Remembering Franklin East on POW/MIA Recognition Day

On POW/MIA Recognition Day, we remember the American servicemen who were captured during the war and endured the hardships of captivity far from home.

Before the war, Franklin East lived in Pomerene, Arizona, where he worked as a chicken farmer and beekeeper. Like many young men of his generation, his life changed dramatically when he answered the call to serve his country.

Franklin was captured during the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines. His years as a prisoner of war would take him through several camps, including Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines, and finally to Nagoya, Japan.

After the war, Franklin returned home and dedicated his life to extensive civic service. Among his many contributions, he served on the Benson School Board for 26 years.

From a chicken farmer and beekeeper in Pomerene to a prisoner of war, and finally a longtime servant of his community, Franklin East's life is a remarkable part of our local history.

Today, we remember Franklin East and honor his service, sacrifice, and dedication to his community.

09/15/2026

September 18- National POW/MIA Recognition Day

A day set aside to remember and honor the brave men and women who were prisoners of war or missing in action.

For POW Recognition Day, we would like to share Phillip Bidigain’s story today and remember not only what happened to him, but who he was before the uniform: a Benson boy, a high school graduate, an athlete, a soldier, and a member of our community.

From Benson Athlete to Soldier in the European Campaign
Phillip Bidigain was a Benson High School graduate of 1942 and quite the athlete. He was a letterman in baseball, basketball, football, and tennis—an impressive accomplishment for any high school athlete.

After graduating, Phillip was admitted to the University of Arizona, but his college plans were put on hold when he was drafted into the U.S. Army on February 24, 1943.

Phillip served overseas in the European Campaign as a Sergeant in Company C, 242nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division—the famous “Rainbow Division.”

He deployed to Europe on November 25, 1944, arriving in Marseille, France, on December 8, 1944. Within weeks, he was in the midst of some of the fiercest fighting of the European campaign.

In January 1945, German forces launched Operation Nordwind, a major offensive in the Alsace region of France. Phillip's military records and subsequent research indicate that he was captured in the Battle of the Bulge sector in the Alsace region.

Phillip became a Prisoner of War and was taken to Stalag IX-B at Bad Orb, Germany. Stalag IX-B held thousands of American prisoners captured during the German winter offensives. Conditions at the camp were among the worst experienced by American and British POWs in Germany.

On April 2, 1945, American forces broke through the German lines and reached Bad Orb, liberating the prisoners of Stalag IX-B. After 3 months of captivity, Phillip was finally free and eventually returned to the United States.

Phillip's military service was recognized with:
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Bronze Stars
• Good Conduct Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Official recognition as a Former Prisoner of War

We remember Phillip Bidigain and all the young men from Benson and the surrounding San Pedro Valley who answered the call to serve.

09/14/2026

Remembering Benson and San Pedro Valley Men Who Went Off to War

In May 2026, as part of our Military Memorial Day exhibit, we unveiled a 3-by-6-foot banner honoring the men who marched off to war between 1941 and 1943. The banner is now a permanent part of the Benson Historical Museum's military exhibit.

This project actually began in January 2025. What started as an idea to identify the men from Benson and the surrounding San Pedro Valley who went off to serve became a year-and-a-half journey of research, emails, phone calls, and conversations with people both here in the area and across the country.

We searched for photographs, military records, service information, and personal stories. Along the way, families and others shared pieces of history that helped us put faces and stories to these men's names.

Today, the museum has a growing collection of their military documents, photographs, and stories, allowing future generations to learn not only their names, but something about the lives and service of the men behind those names.

And the project continues.

Many Benson and surrounding San Pedro Valley men were drafted after 1943, and we continue collecting their military information and photographs. We are also expanding our military collection to include World War I, Korea, and Vietnam.

The Memorial Day banner was an exciting milestone, but it is really just the beginning of a much larger effort to preserve Benson and surrounding San Pedro Valley military history.

September 18th is POW Recognition Day, so tomorrow we will begin with the story of one of two men from the area who became Prisoners of War.

Their story is one of courage, hardship, and survival.

09/11/2026

We opened the Benson Historical Museum this week, and we thought we’d share a few of our new additions with you!
New displays include banners featuring the Benson Depot and a Southern Pacific train, along with a New Mexico & Arizona Railroad station and a wood-burning locomotive.
These images offer a glimpse into the railroad era and the important role the railroad played in Benson's history and growth.
We hope you enjoy these new additions as much as we do — and we invite you to come by the museum and see them for yourself!

09/06/2026

Echos of Early Benson
The WPA, Benson, and the Men Behind the Underpass
When you drive through Benson today, the underpass is simply part of the landscape. But nearly 90 years ago, its construction was a major undertaking—and behind it were Benson men who went to work each day helping build a structure that would become a permanent part of our community.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was created in 1935 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression. Its purpose was to put unemployed Americans back to work while improving communities across the country.

Benson benefited from these programs in several ways. It provided work for the men throughout Arizona on a variety of WPA projects.

One of the largest projects was Benson’s underpass.

Costing $212,129.86, the underpass was the first of its kind built in Arizona. Constructed of reinforced concrete, it was designed to carry four railroad tracks overhead. For a small community like Benson, this was a remarkable engineering and construction project—and it provided much-needed employment during the difficult years of the Depression.

While researching the Museum's WWII military project, I found that these cards often listed the individuals' occupations and employers. Several identified the Phoenix construction company that had been awarded the contract for the Benson Underpass project, which led to some of the men who worked on the underpass being identified.

Some of these Benson men were working on the underpass when they were drafted into World War II.

They were helping build Benson’s future when the war changed the direction of their own lives.

The photographs below show the underpass they helped build. As you look at them, keep in mind that these weren't simply construction workers whose names have been lost to time. They were Benson residents—neighbors, fathers, sons, and friends—who went to work, earned a living, helped build their community, and then, for some, left that work behind to serve their country.

Did your fathers, grandfathers, and uncles work on the Benson Underpass? Let us know.

08/26/2026

Echos of Early Benson
Another Benson Working Man: Frank Lopez Jr.
When we think about the men who helped build and maintain Benson, their stories often stretch across many different kinds of work. Frank Lopez Jr., son of Francisco (Pancho) Lopez, was one of those men.

Frank had a long and varied working career. As a teenager, he worked as a custodian at the Territorial School. In 1918, he served his country during World War I, where one of his duties involved training horses.

By the 1920s, Frank was driving a wagon, earning a living in a time when horses and wagons were still an important part of everyday life. During the 1930s, he turned to farming. Then, in 1941, Frank was among the many Benson men who found employment through the WPA, working on a WPA project in town.

One of those projects was the construction of the Benson underpass. Frank was one of the men who helped build the underpass that still stands today. Following the Great Depression, WPA projects provided much-needed employment for men and women throughout the country, including right here in Benson. For many families, these jobs provided a way to earn a living during difficult economic times while also leaving behind lasting improvements to their communities.

In the 1950s, Frank began working for the City of Benson in the cleaning department, but his responsibilities went far beyond simply cleaning. He dug gas and water lines and, when needed, helped out on the garbage truck. He also kept Fourth Avenue free of debris, sweeping the sidewalks and gathering the debris into a homemade trash cart.

Frank retired from the City of Benson at age 65, but retirement didn't keep him away for long. He continued working part-time for the city until he was 75.

The Museum enjoys finding these stories because they remind us that Benson's history isn't only about buildings, businesses, or important events. It is also about the ordinary working men and women who spent their lives working, raising families, and helping build the community we know today.

And sometimes, the men who quietly went about their work every day left behind a legacy that is still standing—quite literally.

08/21/2026

Echos of Early Benson

Bootlegging in Benson — 1928

The year was 1928, and times were hard. Jobs were difficult to find, and for some families in Benson’s Barrio along 5th Street, bootlegging became a way to put food on the table.
The liquor agents usually avoided the neighborhood. After all, it was one of their sources for the booze they were looking for. But every so often, the law would show up and raid the neighborhood.

One particular resident had what may have been the perfect hiding place. The outhouse in the backyard had two holes—and the second hole was always full of b**r. It apparently remained undiscovered during the booze raids. Sometimes, the best hiding place was right under everyone's nose!

There was also a distillery next to the Catholic Church. Years later, while the foundation for the Grotto was being constructed, workers made an unexpected discovery. The bootleggers next door had dug beneath the floor of the old church sanctuary and used the space to store their homemade liquor. When it was uncovered, truckloads of bottles were found.

And then there were the raids. The liquor agents would confiscate the booze and shoot up the bottles, leaving residents to watch as the liquor flowed down Highway 80—while, as the story goes, they could only stand there licking their lips.

These stories give us a glimpse of Benson during Prohibition, when times were tough, ingenuity was plentiful, and the line between making a living and breaking the law could sometimes be surprisingly thin.

Some of you may have ancestors who lived in Benson during this time and passed down stories about the Prohibition years.
If you have a family story or a piece of Benson history to share, please feel free to add it in the comments. These stories, passed down through the generations, are an important part of preserving Benson's history.

House on 5th Street Back in the day

08/18/2026

Echos of Early Benson

Like many families who settled in the San Pedro Valley, the Lopez family arrived in the late 1860s and left its own lasting footprint on the area's history.
Francisco, also known as Pancho, Lopez moved his family from the Tres Alamos settlement to Benson in 1898. A true jack-of-all-trades, Pancho worked on various ranches throughout the area. Later, he was employed by several local merchants, including Hi Wo, George Kempf, and Harold Holcomb.

At Hi Wo's Mercantile, Pancho kept the hay barn full and the hay neatly stacked. He unloaded sacks of flour from the railroad cars, hauled them back to Hi Wo's Mercantile, and stored them in the basement. He also delivered hay and groceries to customers throughout the community.
In many ways, Pancho was the DoorDash of his day—only his deliveries came by hard work, a wagon, and a whole lot of muscle.

Pancho spent his later working years as an employee of the City of Benson, where he collected and disposed of the town's trash. He did the job using an old ore cart, putting to work yet another of his many skills in service to the community. From working ranches and unloading railroad freight to delivering groceries and keeping the hay barn stocked, Pancho Lopez spent his working life as one of the dependable men who helped keep early Benson running.

Benson Historical Museum

09/29/2026

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09/18/2026

09/15/2026

09/14/2026

09/11/2026

09/06/2026

08/26/2026

08/21/2026

08/18/2026

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