In 1906, the L & N Railroad completed a new line through this community, then called Murny, and constructed a station that also served Benton. William Hinton "Bear” Lawson made the station possible by giving the railroad free access through his farm and taking the minimum amount needed to make the transaction legal. In 1909, Bear donated the land and timber for the construction of Benton Station Baptist Church near the train station. Bear Lawson's benevolence created the historic area now known as Benton Station.