by Cody Berry, Special Collections Assistant

On April 11, 2024, my manager, Julie Syler, accompanied me on a field trip to the grand opening of the Bryant Historical Museum. The museum is the first of its kind in Bryant. The museum came to be after years of hard work by our friends at the City of Bryant and the Bryant Historical Society. We are proud to have this asset to our community join the growing list of Saline County Museums.  

Tiffany Hays of the Saline Courier wrote that the Bryant Historical Museum began after Kathy Lewallen and Patsy Kuhn of the Bryant Historical Society decided to start archiving the history of Bryant. Their first major project was the preservation of the Kirkpatrick Cemetery. Kuhn and Lewallen started collecting artifacts and holding their meetings at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library in Bryant. Eventually, Kuhn and Lewallen needed a place to house their collections.¹ 

When the old fire station next to Bryant City Hall became available, Kuhn and Lewallen worked with city officials to secure the lease on that building to house their museum. After more than a year of work, the old fire station has a new purpose and hopefully their collections will continue to grow.² Kuhn and Lewallen are also Friends of the Library, a group who run and maintain the library’s Used Book Store. They also sit on the county’s Museum Day Committee.  

It is through the hard work and dedication of people like Kathy Lewallen and Patsy Kuhn that this rich history is being preserved for generations to come. Julie and I were honored to represent the Saline County Library and Gann Museum at the grand opening of the Bryant Historical Museum. I wish them the best of luck in their new venture and look forward to seeing their museum grow. I hope that more people will follow in their footsteps. 

¹ Tiffany Hays, “Bryant Historical Museum opens April 11,” Saline Courier, https://www.bentoncourier.com/bryant-historical-museum-opens-april-11/article_3898d100-ee01-11ee-a04c-2b999dfcd316.html, Date Accessed 5/2/24. 

² Tiffany Hays, “Bryant Historical Museum opens April 11,” Saline Courier, https://www.bentoncourier.com/bryant-historical-museum-opens-april-11/article_3898d100-ee01-11ee-a04c-2b999dfcd316.html, Date Accessed 5/2/24.