New Exhibit! Bauxite 250 

By Cody Berry 

Back on November 11, 2025, I had the privilege of representing the Saline County Library and Gann Museum at the “From the Mines to the Frontlines” event in Bauxite. While planning for our next big exhibit for the first few months of 2026, I took some time to make an exhibit based on that event. So, I used some photos I took during the event and combined them with some artifacts from Bauxite’s company town days to provide some historical context. Bauxite was the first of eleven places in Arkansas to be honored by the Arkansas 250 Commission. That’s a big deal and a huge honor for Saline County as well. 

From now until the semi-quincentennial on July 4, 2026, the Bauxite 250 exhibit will be available for viewing in the Williams Gallery of the Gann Museum of Saline County. However, Bauxite isn’t the only thing being honored with our new display. I’ve also included some information about Benjamin Bryant and Asher Bagley, two Revolutionary War soldiers from the First New Jersey Regiment, who are buried here in Saline County. In addition, I have a photo of the bicentennial marker at the Saline County Courthouse that honored them in 1976. 

If you missed the Arkansas 250 marker dedication ceremony in November, you’ll be able to see highlights from the ceremony here and a copy of the Declaration of Independence to tie it all together. It’s not an original copy and there’s no map on the back to buried treasure. It’s old and it is based on the document that helped give birth to the United States in 1776. So, come, learn about the history of Bauxite and Saline County’s two Revolutionary War soldiers.