Dr. Gann’s “Gift of Love”
Pictured above: Dr. Dewell Gann Sr. By Cody Berry Eighty years ago on April 18, 1946, the Benton Courier reported the office of the late Dr. Gann, Sr. was to be given to the City of Benton by his son Dr. Gann, Jr. and his wife. The Gann Building was considered very “dear to the hearts of the people of Benton and Saline County,” as was the memory … Continued
Burt Reynolds in The Saline Courier
One of the coolest things to happen in Central Arkansas in the early 1970s was the filming of a movie called “White Lightning” starring Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty. When the film was released in 1973, Reynolds was already a big star. He had just wrapped on the film “Deliverance,” and posed for his famous centerfold in Cosmopolitan magazine. The plot of “White Lightning” was very … Continued
What is the Centennial Edition of The Benton Courier?
The Gann Museum is one of a few places where copies of a very special edition of The Benton Courier can be purchased. But what is it that makes this edition so special? The Centennial Edition of the Benton Courier was first published on March 25, 1937. The Gann Museum sponsored its creation in celebration of the Sesquicentennial of Arkansas statehood as well as that of Saline … Continued
Who was L.B. White?
Above image courtesy of the Saline County History and Heritage Society. By Cody Berry L.B. White was a very important figure in modern Saline County history. He was a longtime newspaperman who owned The Benton Courier for a long time. The following facts come mostly from his obituary in the Arkansas Gazette in March 1957. Lowell Bartow White was born November 10, 1872, in Denver, Colorado to Thomas Benton White and Lois … Continued
The Fires of 1946
By Cody Berry On January 31, 1946, an article about a local “firebug” appeared on the front page of The Benton Courier saying that there had been three fires in the past week. At 7:00pm, the Friday before, the office of Dr. J. W. Ashby on West Sevier Street was set on fire. Rufus Land, who lived … Continued
Historic Recipes from the Gann
By Cody Berry Because my WWII exhibit is over, I thought it would be fun to share some historic holiday recipes with you all. Back in 2023 we got a neat little cookbook from a patron called The Methodist Cook Book, which was compiled under the auspices of the Missionary Society of Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1911. These recipes are from that book. One of … Continued
William Webber: The Father of Saline County Journalism
above image credit: FindAGrave.com By Cody Berry Did you know that the first newspaper in Saline County was founded by a former Union soldier? William Ami Webber was born on February 13, 1839, in Plymouth, Maine, although the Centennial Courier says he was from Vermont.1 At some point, Webber moved to Iowa, which is where he was living when the Civil War started, and he served throughout … Continued
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 … Continued
Saline County Ghost Towns
By Cody Berry While Saline County has had its share of spooky events, and crimes like the Staner Murders, I wanted to write about something less intense this Halloween. Did you know that in its earliest days the settlers of what would become Saline County formed whole communities that no longer exist? There was Saline … Continued
Saline County’s War Memorial and Gold Star Mothers
By Cody Berry After the Second World War ended, there were many efforts undertaken to honor those who served and died in both world wars. In Saline County, there were parades in the downtown area. We have pictures of the VE (Victory in Europe) Day parade in our current exhibit at the Gann Museum. In … Continued