Saline County Arkansas
A Brief History of Saline County
Saline County Courthouse
200 N. Main Street
Benton, Arkansas 72015
Office: 501-303-5600
Fax: 501-303-5611
40 year old Time Capsule Opened!!
Saturday, October 14, 2000 10:00am
Find out the contents from the link above.
I would like to THANK...
Marilyn Schulte and Steve Perdue of the
and the Saline County Judges Office
for helping me research the history of the Saline County Courthouse.
Arkansas Counties 1819
CENTENNIAL EDITION - BENTON COURIER 1836-1936
1835
Saline County was formed November 2, 1835 from parts of Hempstead and Pulaski Counties. It was named Saline because of the salt works which had been established a few years before its formation.
The earliest settlement recorded was near Benton 1815, Benton was chosen the permanent county seat in 1835. The committee that selected the county seat was composed of Rezin Davis, Green B Hugh and David O. Dodd.
The principal industries are bauxite mining and aluminum manufacturing, which employ more than 2,200 persons. The strip mines of Saline and Pulaski counties produce approximately 96 percent of all aluminum ore produced in the United States. Aluminum plants are located at Bauxite and on Hurricane Creek.
Furniture manufacturing and the making of pottery and construction tile from the cast kaolm deposits in the county contribute substantially to its economy.
Saline county was an early industrial center. The first industry was a salt factory and was established in the county in 1827. Price of salt then was $1.50 per bushel and the plant supplied all of Arkansas and parts of Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas.
The county contains 690 square miles and population, according to the last census of 28,829.
Most of the farming area has been diverted to permanent pastures of cattle raising. The western one-third of the county is included in the Ouachita National Forest, where controlled timber cutting and forest management supply and important lumbering industry.
Principal farm crops are cotton, corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, melons, and fruit.
Besides bauxite deposits, the county is underlaid with mineral deposits showing traces of nickel, silver and cobalt.
The is excellent hunting in the forests and fishing in the rivers. Brush Creek Dam, to provide additional water supplies for Benton, was completed on the north fork of the Saline river in 1953. The lake formed is Lake Norrell and provides excellent fishing and hunting in the area.
The county is served by two railroads and eight highways U.S. 67, 70, 167 along with State Hwy 9, 35, 88, 111, and 183.
Arkansas Counties - 1836
Arkansas Counties 1850
Map of Saline County in 1895
1901
LAYING CORNERSTONE OF THE PRESENT COURTHOUSE
In the foreground Dr. D. Gann, Sr., worshipful Master Benton Lodge NO. cd. SITTING, left to right--Hiram Glenn, John Collatt, Whittier Whitthorne, Frank Thompson, Unknown. STANDING, left to right--Bob Raper. Rev. Ledbetter, Unknown, J. W. Sample, F. W. Bush, Jim Harris, Unknown, Unknown, Rosebud Evens, Unknown, Charlie Evans, J. W. Westbrook, Unknown, C. H. Houston, Turner Warnock, Mink Westbrook, H. T. Caldwell, Lilburn Hockersmith, A. S. Henley, J. H. Tarleton, Matt House. THIRD ROW--Judge Evans, A. V. Martin, Joe Bob Hughes. Those standing in the rear are all unknown except Jim Hockersmith third from the right.
On October 8, 1901 the quorum court appropriated $4,000.00 for the erection of a new county courthouse. John S. Odum of Little Rock bid $31,000.00 for the construction of a new courthouse. In November of 1901 work began on the new courthouse. Charles L. Thompson, architect of Little Rock, prepared the plans and specifications.
1902
In August of 1902 the new courthouse was completed. The first term of the Circuit court met in the new courthouse in September of 1902.
1936 Courthouse
Approximately 1980's picture of Saline County Courthouse
Saline County Courthouse December 1999
Help us find the mystery to this Saline County Circuit Court Seal - Arkansas
Click on picture below.
Other Saline County Links:
Arkansas Genealogical Web Project (Saline County)
Saline County History and Heritage Society, Inc.