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 Dr. T.E. Buffington.
Dr. Walton was born on January 23, 1863, in Traskwood to James and Angelina Poe Walton, who was a distant relative of the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe. After his mother died in 1866, Walton was raised by his maternal grandparents. Eventually, Walton made his way back to Arkansas where he studied medicine at what became UAMS in Little Rock. Walton was instrumental in the creation of Saline County’s first medical society, and as the county’s first health officer, he specialized in the treatment of typhoid and malaria.1
Pictured above: the house at 301 West Sevier Street, designed by Charles Thompson.
Walton’s house at 301 West Sevier Street in Benton was designed by Charles Thompson, the same man who designed the Courthouse. The Walton House was finished in 1903 by Thompson’s contractor John S. Odum. Dr. Walton died in April 1928.2 The home of Dr. Turner Ellis Buffington at 312 West South Street in Benton was built in 1928. Buffington was born on May 5, 1879, in Benton to William Ellis and Mary Marceline Miller Buffington. They moved to Saline County from Georgia in the 1870s. Buffington was educated in Benton and at what became UAMS in Little Rock. In 1903, he passed the state medical board exam and began working in Bauxite.3
Dr. Buffington worked closely with John G. Lonsdale, Sr to incorporate the town of Lonsdale in 1913. Dr. Buffington was even the first mayor of Lonsdale where he served until 1926. After his home in Benton was completed, Dr. Buffington moved his family there and from 1951 to 1952, he served as mayor of Benton. During his long career as a doctor, Dr. Buffington is said to have delivered more than 6,000 babies which were called “Buffington Babies,” by the Saline Courier, then known as the Benton Courier. He died in 1965.4
Pictured above: the exhibit at the Gann Museum on the Walton and Buffington houses.
At the Gann Museum, we have pictures of both the Walton House and the Buffington House on display, and some medical tools donated to us by Dr. James Bethel from the Gann’s collection. I thought it was important to highlight these other two doctors who worked with or may have known the Gann Family.
Citations:
1 Cody Lynn Berry, “Dr. James Wyatt Walton House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/dr-james-wyatt-walton-house-12250/, Date Accessed December 7, 2024.
2 Cody Lynn Berry, “Dr. James Wyatt Walton House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/dr-james-wyatt-walton-house-12250/, Date Accessed December 7, 2024.
3 Cody Lynn Berry, “Dr. T.E. Buffington House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/dr-t-e-buffington-house-13430/, Date Accessed December 7, 1941.
4 Cody Lynn Berry, “Dr. T.E. Buffington House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/dr-t-e-buffington-house-13430/, Date Accessed December 7, 2024.