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
Bauxite: A Company Town
By Cody Berry After covering what Bauxite ore is, and what it’s used for, I thought I should talk more about the town of Bauxite. When we have visitors from other states in the U.S. or other countries even, I often relate the Gann’s walls to the Bauxite mining industry in Saline County. The nearby … Continued
What is Niloak Pottery?
By Cody Berry Another frequently asked question I get from our patrons is “What is Niloak Pottery?” Well, Niloak is the name given to a popular line of art pottery made from locally sourced clays in Benton. Its creation is often credited to Benton’s own Charles Dean “Bullet” Hyten and Ohio potter Arthur Dovey but … Continued
The Seed Library Grows!
From January now through our last month of August, the Saline County Library has been offering patrons it’s 2024 Seed Library. We think the program was a big hit with the community… and we’ve got the stats to prove it! So, before we say goodbye to this year’s gardening season, let’s review: Seed packs given: 12,295 … Continued
What is Bauxite Ore?
By Cody Berry There’s a long list of questions I get frequently during my tours at the Gann Museum. I try to answer them as best I can and relate that to whatever is next on the tour. Probably the most frequently asked question is something like “So, What’s Bauxite?” Well, Bauxite is a type … Continued
Dr. Gann Jr Goes to Scotland
Did you know that Dr. Dewell Gann, Jr completed a week-long medical course in just two days? In around 1924, when he was 34, he received a very high honor. He was awarded a fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland. But to be admitted, candidates had to endure ten written and … Continued
Celebrate the End of Summer Reading at our Wrap-Up Party
If you participated in the Summer Reading Challenge or not, join us in our end-of-summer-reading Wrap-Up Party on Saturday, July 27. The event begins at 10:00 AM and has several activities until noon, followed by our Bird Watching program. All ages can enjoy meeting with local authors, crafting, a movie showing, and a storytime event at our … Continued
The Oldest Bridge in Arkansas?
Recently, in my research on the Old River Bridge, I have read that it may be the oldest bridge in Arkansas. So, today, I decided to see how our bridge ranks in the chronology of early Arkansas bridges…