Fort Benton is a natural hill that the Union Army used as an outpost during the Civil War to defend against Confederate invasion from the south. It was named for General William Plummer Benton, who was commissioned to fortify the fort in November 1862. The Wayne County Historical Society and supporters purchased it in January 1999, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 2002. It was dedicated on November 1, 2003, in memory of those who gave their lives here for what they believed, with a call that the nation never forget the lessons learned from this conflict.