Benge, Washington, with a 2000 population of 57 souls, is in Adams County. The famous Mullan Road, built to connect the Missouri River with the Columbia River, passed through Benge.....that portion was finished in May 1861. Still in 2008, the wagon ruts from the Mullan Road could be seen.
The road was built as a military road, but civilians and travelers alike used the road until the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1883.
The town was named for Frank H. Benge, who, with his family, was an early settler. He represented Adams County in the State Legislature in 1904 and he donated the land to found the town.
Here's a very early picture of Benge, Washington. Anybody have relatives or ancestors who lived in this Adams County farming town???
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