A number of new photographs from the Benson Museum of Local History have been uploaded to DigitalNC. These photos feature some of the prominent citizens of Benson, North Carolina, as well as everyday activities and life. Viewers who have been keeping up with the photographs provided by the Benson Museum of Local History will find some familiar surnames, such as McLamb, Parrish, Woodall, and Whittington, as well as some new faces.

Sutton and Phoebe Lee Holmes

This batch of photos also contains a few individuals who might be called local heroes. One man, Stephen O’Neal, was a wealthy businessman and donated land for Benson’s First Baptist Church. Another is an obituary for Bruce McLamb, who died in action in France during World War II.

Stephen O’Neal

Bruce McLamb

Also included in this batch is a number of drawings from a book published by the Eastern Carolina Chamber of Commerce. These drawings feature Benson men who were members of the Chamber and prominent in the financial and political life of town. In addition to the drawings of the men themselves, there are cartoons depicting some of their activities and business ventures as well as a short biography.

Preston Woodall

John W. Parrish

All photos provided by the Benson Museum of Local History can be viewed here. For more information about older batches, see our previous blog posts from June and September, and for more information about the museum itself and their collections, visit their contributor page or their website.

A new batch of photographs from the Benson Museum of Local History has been uploaded to DigitalNC. Many of these enlarged photographs feature prominent members of the Benson community throughout the years. Whether formal or informal, these portraits let viewers see the faces of the individuals who played important roles in the town, and some show quite a bit of their personalities as well!

Mr. and Mrs. Preston Woodall

Reverend and Mrs. Noah McLamb

Another theme in this batch of photos is the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad that ran through Benson, and was later known as the Seaboard Coast Line. The photographs range in time from the early days of the railroad in the early 1900s up through more modern times with portraits of workers.

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Water Tank

Telegram Operator, W. Ralph Barbour Jr.

Smith, Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Worker

To see other photographs the Benson Local History Museum has shared on DigitalNC, check out their contributor page on our website, or this previous blog post. For more information about the Benson Local History Museum and their collection, visit their website.

A new batch of photographs from the Benson Museum of Local History has been added to DigitalNC. These photographs depict a wide variety of people and places, and range in time from the late 1800s, when the family from whom the town of Benson received its name was alive, up to the Bicentennial of the American Revolution.

A group of men standing outside of a store in Benson, N.C.

Many of the individuals captured in these photographs appear in multiple images, and certain surnames, such as Barefoot, Parrish, and Godwin, make regular appearances.

The family from whom the town of Benson received its name

These photographs taken as a whole provide a rich and interesting view into the town of Benson. Multiple street views of the town show the progression of building and development, and the photographs of regular people going about their business gives a sense of the culture and everyday lives of the town throughout its history.

World War II Veterans’ Program

For more information about the town of Benson, N.C. and what the Benson Museum of Local History has to offer, visit their website. DigitalNC also has a number of other items from the museum, including yearbooks, scrapbooks, and a city directory.