Fort Benson
United States · Americas
About
Fort Benson was a fortified homestead created in 1857 in present-day Colton in San Bernardino County, California. The fortification came about during a land dispute between Mormon settlers, who had recently purchased the Rancho San Bernardino land grant, and squatters living on the ranch lands.
Squatter Jerome Benson refused to give up the land he had improved to the Mormons and, with the help of supporters, fortified his home to prevent it being taken; this fortification became known as "Fort Benson." Later that year, as a result of the Utah War, the Mormons were recalled to Utah from San Bernardino, effectively ending the land dispute. While nothing remains of the fort, the site was marked in 1935 and since 1957 has been registered as a California Historical Landmark.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.