Published May 30, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
Named after Judge William S. Benson of California, who was a friend of the Southern-Pacific’s president, Charles Crocker, Benson today sits just off Interstate-10 in Cochise County and is best known as “The Gateway to Kartchner Caverns”. The city, be it small, is also known under another moniker. This week we make the two-and-a-half-hour trip south from the Phoenix west valley to the city of Benson, Arizona, the “City of Murals”.
Unlike old-west towns such as Wickenburg, Jerome, Tombstone, Bisbee, and others that were founded from mining camps, other cities sprung up from events such as the railroad coming through an area. Benson, Arizona falls into the latter category and, despite the trains through town dwindling to a mere trickle of its former glory days, it has managed to survive for more than 140-years and, today, boasts a population of just under 5,000 strong.
As the Southern-Pacific Railroad was charting a path east from California in 1880, they selected what is now Benson as the area where they would cross the San Pedro River. This also provided a junction point for the mines in the area to ship their ore and metals, while the railroad would bring in freight and much-needed supplies to these camps and towns such as Tombstone, Bisbee, and Fairbanks. So, I guess you could say that Benson was born from the railroad and mining industries. Today, the town of Benson still serves as an active train stop.
In June 2013 the Benson Clean & Beautiful Organization developed an idea of creating outdoor murals around town that would not only beautify this old town but also depict and celebrate the history and culture of Benson and Cochise County. Several murals were already on buildings such as the one on the side of the Horseshoe Diner, which has since been restored to its original luster. Artist Doug Quarles was commissioned to create the new murals. Quarles, who is also the owner of Quarles Art Gallery in Benson, relocated there from Tucumcari, New Mexico in that same year.
A dozen murals were added during that first year of activity. Currently, there are 42 murals around the city with many being in the west and east parking lots of the Visitors Center on 4th Street, which was the old train station. Of the completed murals, 36 depict the area’s train history, as well as miners, cowboys, wildlife, and more. The other six are train company logos.
Some murals depict historical scenes such as the Mormon Battle of the Bulls. This “battle” occurred in November 1846, when the US Army’s Mormon Battalion, encountered wild cattle along the banks of the San Pedro River. The soldiers drew the attention of the bulls in a short fashion, and it didn’t take long for several bulls to charge the human invaders, turning over wagons while killing two mules and injuring several soldiers in the process. In response to the bulls’ aggression, the battalion loaded their rifles and attacked the herd killing roughly 15 of the herd. The soldiers themselves named their melee with nature, the “Battle of the Bulls”, in typical gallows humor fashion.
Other murals depict scenes such as Buffalo Soldiers escorting a stage to Fort Huachuca in the 1890s while another illustrates the last major cattle drive in Arizona. Yet another immortalizes the Riverside Saloon, a Benson landmark since 1940. All the murals are beautiful works of art and are well worth the stop in Benson to enjoy. The Committee is planning to add additional murals to their existing collection. But, as of the time of this article, their website does not indicate what murals are next.
So, the next time you are traveling through Cochise County be sure to make a pit stop at Benson. Maybe grab some food from a local diner and then cruise around the city to check out the art. In most cases, you don’t even need to get out of the car to enjoy them. Learn more about the Benson Murals here.
That'll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. And, if you go somewhere in Arizona that you think others should know about, please let us know so we can add it to our travel list. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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