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
The Great Flood of 1978
By Cody Berry After seeing the news about all the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in the past few days, I was reminded about an entry I wrote in graduate school about another natural disaster. On September 13, 1978, a large rainstorm brought record-setting amounts of rainfall to Central Arkansas. 13 people lost their lives … Continued
Museum Day 2024 Recap
By Cody Berry Saline County’s fourth annual Museum Day was a great success for the Gann Museum. This past Saturday, the museum welcomed more than 60 guests of all ages to see our “Building History” exhibit and more. From 10am until 4pm, ten Saline County museums were opened at the same time. Armed with stamps … Continued
Only The Names Have Changed
By Cody Berry After spending many, many hours scanning, organizing, and labeling pictures I’ve discovered in the museum, I’ve come across several old photos of things I recognize. The people in the photos — not so much. One of the cool things about living in such a well-preserved Southern town is that for the most … Continued