The County’s First Bilingual Newspaper?
By Cody Berry Did you know Bauxite had a bilingual newspaper over a century ago? It did! While the history of the town of Bauxite, Arkansas goes back to the late nineteenth century, its editorial history began with the publication of the Bauxite News in 1920. It ran from June 1920 to January 1921 when … Continued
Dr. James Wyatt Walton and Dr. T.E. Buffington
By Cody Berry Saline County has a long and colorful history. And it’s certainly had its share of great doctors and I’m not just talking about Dr. Gann, Sr. and his son. In our “Only the Names Have Changed” exhibit, we’ve featured the homes of two other Saline County physicians; Dr. James Wyatt Walton and … Continued
Niloak Pottery’s Centennial Anniversary!
By Cody Berry When we started going through the Gann Museum’s collections, we found an old box of items left behind by Arlene Hyten Rainey, the daughter of Niloak inventor Charles Hyten. The box contained her father’s bible, a sample of hair from a Civil War hero, Mr. Hyten’s formula books, and a patent certificate … Continued
The Courthouse at Christmas
The Courthouse at Christmas By Cody Berry Pictured above: the courthouse in present day (December 2024) lit up with Christmas lights for the holidays. Growing up here the lighting of the Courthouse was always a favorite holiday tradition of mine. As a boy, I thought our beautiful Romanesque Courthouse was a castle, or perhaps even … Continued
Frequently Asked Questions: How was Niloak Pottery made?
By Cody Berry One of the things that the Gann Museum is known for is its collection of Niloak Pottery. We keep it on permanent display in Dr. Gann’s old exam room. When I give tours of the museum people usually comment on how pretty the pottery is. They also want to know how it’s … Continued
Native Saline County
By Cody Berry Since November is Native American Heritage Month, I thought I’d highlight some of Saline County’s first residents. Arkansas has a rich and colorful history, but it didn’t start with the first Europeans settling here. When Hernando De Soto and his conquistadors crossed the Mississippi River on June 28, 1541, they met several … Continued
A Street for Corporal Fuller
By Cody Berry Last Friday I had the honor of participating in the Saline County Library’s Veterans Day Appreciation event at the Bryant branch. I brought over a small exhibit called “Hometown Heroes.” A couple of the artifacts in that exhibit were copies of a political cartoon by former Saline Courier cartoonist Ron Meyer about … Continued
Downtown Ghost Stories
By Cody Berry Sometimes I get asked if the Gann is haunted or not. I haven’t seen the ghost of Dr. Gann or any member of his family, but I have had some strange coincidences. For example, while doing research for the “Only the Names Have Changed” exhibit, on downtown Benton, I spent a lot … Continued
Unexpected Discoveries at the Gann
By Cody Berry This week and last week have been full of small discoveries at the Gann Museum. Last week, I was looking for picture frames to use in a future display when I came across a certificate from the National Register of Historic Places for the Old River Bridge. The certificate was printed in … Continued
A Tale of Three Theaters
By Cody Berry Downtown Benton was once home to three movie theaters but not all at the same time. The Palace was the oldest, then came the IMP (Independent Motion Pictures), which we now call the Royal, and the Victory. The Palace Theater was built in 1919 on West South Street in Benton just around … Continued