sentences:  The original county seat selected in 1843 was Oxford, but after a long struggle between contending factions it was moved to Fowler in 1874.The current Benton County courthouse, located in Fowler, was designed by Gordon P. Randall of Chicago and built in 1874 by Levi L. Leach at a cost of $62,257.The new courthouse was an impressive building from an architectural standpoint, but also provided much-needed improvements in security, including large fire-proof vaults.