The name of the various water fountains located about Portland, Oregon.
It all started when a wealthy immigrant from Sweden named Simon Benson arrived in town. He got a job as a lumberjack, and quickly noticed how thirsty the workers got. Being the nice guy that he was, Benson used a great deal of his fortune to construct public drinking fountains all over the city. These fountains are always on and produce a steady "bubbling" of water. Thus, the Portland lumberjacks nicknamed the drinking fountains "Benson Bubblers".
These fountains still operate today. Some street corners feature four bowls, so four people can drink at once, and others use a single bowl. For the most part, the Benson Bubblers are unchanged from when they were originally installed. However, a few years ago, the City of Portland decided to place buttons on the Bubblers that would be pressed to operate the fountain. This was supposed to prevent wasting water. However, many citizens complained that the charm of the fountains was their perpetualness, and the city took the buttons off. Now, they are only placed back on during hot summers when there is danger of a drought.
If you are ever in Portland, do not use the Benson Bubbler in Old Town under the Burnside Bridge. Many hoboes use it to wash their hair and brush their teeth. It's very disgusting, so, don't use it!