The Great Flood of 1978
By Cody Berry After seeing the news about all the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in the past few days, I was reminded about an entry I wrote in graduate school about another natural disaster. On September 13, 1978, a large rainstorm brought record-setting amounts of rainfall to Central Arkansas. 13 people lost their lives … Continued
Costume Closet Opens October 1!
➡️ Our costume closet is running low on costumes. The costume closet is asking for donations for all ages and sizes. Donate your unused costumes today to help everyone find a free Halloween fit. Thank you for helping keep the costume closet stocked! Saline County Library’s annual Costume Closet is open for business! 🎃 🎉 … Continued
Museum Day 2024 Recap
By Cody Berry Saline County’s fourth annual Museum Day was a great success for the Gann Museum. This past Saturday, the museum welcomed more than 60 guests of all ages to see our “Building History” exhibit and more. From 10am until 4pm, ten Saline County museums were opened at the same time. Armed with stamps … Continued
Only The Names Have Changed
By Cody Berry After spending many, many hours scanning, organizing, and labeling pictures I’ve discovered in the museum, I’ve come across several old photos of things I recognize. The people in the photos — not so much. One of the cool things about living in such a well-preserved Southern town is that for the most … Continued
Cartoonist Ron Meyer’s illustrations added to Gann Museum
By Cody Berry Anyone who grew up reading the Saline Courier, or perhaps even the Democrat or the Gazette before their merger, will know the name Ron Meyer. Well, we’re happy to report that as of September 5, 2024, the Gann Museum now has hundreds more of his artworks to keep and share with our … Continued
The Legend of the Pink Panther
By Cody Berry Growing up in Benton, the first time I remember seeing the Pink Panther character had nothing to do with the movies. It was about football. Since the Panthers were our team, it made perfect sense that our mascot was a cartoon panther. But our mascot was a black panther not a pink … Continued
Frequently Asked Questions: The Gann House
By Cody Berry I’ve been asked many times if the Gann House is part of the museum or if it’s part of the tour. The answer to both of those questions is “no.” While the Gann House is the former home of the Gann family, it is still a private residence. It is not part … Continued
Free Entry on Museum Day 2024
Saline County museums have partnered together to host the annual Saline County Museum Day on Saturday, September 14th, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The ten museums are: Saline County History and Heritage Society, Arkansas Firefighter Museum & Fire Education Center, The Shoppach House, Benton Athletic Memorial Museum, The Haskell Historical and Fire Museum, Boone … Continued
Summer Reading 2024 Recap!
The Summer Reading Challenge at the library comes to a close and we have to say: what a fantastic summer! This year we had a ton of people take on the challenge to read for 40 days! And by a lot, we mean 2,972 people. That’s nearly 3,000! Clearly, a lot of folks in Saline … Continued
It’s Library Card Sign Up Month!
What is LCSUM? Grab your mask and cape and gear up for an awesome month! Starting September 1st, libraries across the country celebrate Library Card Sign Up Month, (or LCSUM) showcasing the variety of books, digital resources, and programs available at your local library for free. Each library celebrates differently. This year, The Saline County … Continued