Benson Museum of Local History

02/23/2026

02/23/2026

02/04/2026

REMINDER:
The Benson Museum of Local History’s 15th Annual Black History Month Celebration honoring Linwood Sanders will be held Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 3pm at the Barn at Broadslab (4676 NC Highway 50 South). The event is free and open to the public.

▶️ Read the full press release about Mr. Sanders here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FstUjeyE4/

01/09/2026

PRESS RELEASE (1-9-26): Benson Selects Linwood Sanders as 2026 Black History Honoree

The Town of Benson and the Benson Museum of Local History are excited to announce this year’s Black History honoree is Benson resident and entrepreneur Linwood Sanders.

Mr. Sanders, many locals refer to him as Rabb, has been a part of the Benson area since childhood. Many know him for his generosity and his love for the community — whether that be mentoring youth through coaching football or simply being a friend that can be called on.

For many years, he has enriched the community through his volunteer work coaching youth sports, involvement in church, business ventures, and outreach to those in need.

He is known for going beyond his coaching duties during his time with Benson Parks and Recreation. Mr. Sanders cared for all his players. One person noted that he would even make sure the kids had rides to practice and games. Another noted that he would help out when they could not afford the needed sports equipment.

“Mr. Sanders is fondly remembered for his coaching work here in Benson. We are looking forward to honoring him and recognizing the difference he has made over the years,” said Benson Cultural Arts Director Derrick Barefoot.

Aside from sports, he is also a licensed barber and spent several years locally in the profession. He no longer cuts hair, but still owns and operates Ray’s Hair Center in Dunn.

You might know him from playing softball or football, you might know him from the barbershop, but there’s another feather in Mr. Sanders’ cap — he has owned Quality Time Towing in the McGee’s Crossroads area for nearly 25 years.

“Linwood is a family-oriented man… and a friend to the community,” one nomination states. “He is keenly aware of his calling to be of help to his fellow man.”

Mr. Sanders serves as a deacon at Small’s Chapel Church of God in the Meadow community and he made sure to tell us that he loves to rabbit hunt.

Similar to previous years, a mini documentary about Mr. Sanders’ impact on the Benson community will be produced and will premiere at the Town’s Black History Month Celebration.

The Benson Museum of Local History's 15th Annual Black History Month Celebration honoring Linwood Sanders will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 3pm at the Barn at Broadslab (4676 NC Highway 50 South). The event is free and open to the public.

Follow the Town of Benson, NC and Benson Museum of Local History on Facebook for more information and to view the mini documentary video following the event.

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11/04/2025

Benson Museum of Local History Seeking Honoree Nominations for Fourteenth Annual Black History Month Celebration - February 22, 2026

The Cultural Arts Advisory Board of the Benson Museum of Local History is seeking nominations for an honoree for the 2026 Black History Month Celebration.

Do you know someone that has been a pioneer for the African American community in Benson? If so, please consider nominating them to be honored this year.

The chosen recipient will be honored for their contributions to the African American community and Benson as a whole. This is also an excellent time for friends, relatives, and other community members to show the honoree how much their work and life has been appreciated.

This could be a business owner, a civic leader, an educator, a tireless volunteer, or any other citizen of Benson that has positively affected the community.

⏰ Nominations are due by 11:59pm on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

▶️For our secure online nomination form, please visit this link:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=oFZf1IxBSkCTKAH7fhWGPT3T5_m_GkhHighZZrn1kaJUQTZUT0NaRjBKV1Y1VFNaTldGTzlGQjFFWS4u&route=shorturl

Access to the online form can also be found on the Town of Benson website, the Town of Benson, NC page, or the Benson Museum of Local History page.

📃 We will be accepting paper nominations as well as online submissions this year. Paper nominations are available at the Benson Museum of Local History, the Mary Duncan Public Library, and Benson Town Hall.

❓ If you have any questions about the online nomination form or the selection process please contact the Town of Benson Cultural Arts Director, Derrick Barefoot by phone at (919) 894-3724 or by email at [email protected].

✅ This year, the Museum Board will select the honoree using a set of weighted criteria:

• Nominee’s impact in black community (30%)
• Nominee’s impact in/for Benson (25%)
• Nominee’s volunteer experience in Benson (15%)
• Nominee has resided in Benson (10%)
• Nominee’s impact on County/State/National Level (10%)
• Nominee’s community and/or political engagement (10%)

⭐️ Past Recipients:
-2025 Benson Community Focus: Black-Owned Businesses
-2024 Casandra Stack
-2023 Geneva Covington
-2022 Cicero Williams
-2021 Joyce White Warren
-2020 Cleo McKinnon
-2019 Nathan Alford
-2018 Fred Nelson
-2017 Peggy Alford
-2016 Harvey Johnson
-2015 Rosa Clark
-2014 Annie Pearl Clark Mack
-2013 Frances Williams
-2012 Johnnie Barfield Greene

09/19/2025

⏰🐴 We’re back on the Time Travelin’ Wagon and we’re turning the dial up to 1986 then up another notch to 1987! This is more than 100 Benson Mule Days photos for you to sort through over the weekend! Check it out!

🎞️ Each photo was scanned from the photo slide collection of the late Harold Medlin — local historian and photographer. There are some good ones in here! Tag your friends and family!

🗓️ Check out the full schedule for the 76th annual Mule Days (September 25-28, 2025) here: https://bensonmuledays.com/schedule/

09/16/2025

⏱️🫏 Alright! We just fired up our Benson Mule Days time travelin' wagon (the DeLorean is in the shop) and ended up in 1985!

🎞️Check out these photos from Mule Days 40 years ago! Each one was scanned from the photo slide collection of the late Harold Medlin — local historian and photographer.

There are some good ones in here! Tag your friends and family!

🗓️ Check out the full schedule for the 76th annual Mule Days (September 25-28, 2025) here:
https://bensonmuledays.com/schedule/

09/12/2025

🎞️ As is tradition at this point, we're going through some old Mule Days film slides we have at the Benson Museum of Local History! There are lots of old photos to post next week! Stay tuned!

🫏 Benson Mule Days is just around the bend (September 25-28)! Check out the full schedule for the 76th annual Mule Days here: https://bensonmuledays.com/schedule/

09/02/2025

Benson Mule Days is just around the bend (September 25-28)! Check out the full schedule for the 76th annual Mule Days here:
https://bensonmuledays.com/schedule/

02/24/2025

Here are the photos from Sunday's Black History Month celebration (2-23-25) honoring Black-owned businesses in Benson past and present.