Benson Bubbler

One was his hope that they would reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages during lunch breaks, and the other was that he felt the need after witnessing a girl crying at an Independence Day parade due to her inability to find a drink of water.

[1] In the 1970s, the Benson family requested that the bubblers only be installed within specific boundaries of Downtown Portland "so as not to diminish the uniqueness of them".

[1] Also commonly known simply as "Benson fountains", additional bubblers replicating the original style have been cast and installed over the years.

Construction of the Portland Transit Mall in 1976–77 included the addition of 15 new Benson fountains.

[3] According to the Portland Water Bureau, 52 "true" Benson Bubblers, each of which supports four bowls, can be found throughout downtown.