Saline County History and Heritage Society, Inc.

05/25/2026

Thankful for those we remember on this holiday for giving the ultimate sacrifice. Veterans, families of all who served in our military, we salute you.
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05/25/2026

A few scenes from our recent program on the History of Blacksmithing… Thanks to Bill Leshe who brought his forge along with assorted metals and tools to demonstrate to the crowd the importance of this age old craft in building communities.

05/03/2026

Join the Saline County History & Heritage Society at the Benton farmers market for a live demonstration with historian and blacksmith Bill Leshe: May 14, 2026 at 6 PM. There’s no charge to attend and all are welcome!

05/03/2026

A recent trip to Historic Washington State Park struck up an interest in blacksmithing, igniting the spark for a program here in Saline County with a live demonstration by Bill Leshe, a former history teacher and a volunteer at the Arkansas State Park as featured in the video here.

Join us May 14th at 6pm in downtown Benton at the Farmer’s Market to see how the industry operated in early days and how important it was and continues to be to our growth.

No charge to attend!
All are welcome. 🔥 🔨 🖤

04/07/2026

Join Saline County History & Heritage Society for our April program on Plum Bayou Mounds, an Arkansas State Park. This incredible archeological site has an Interesting link to Saline County. Come find out what it is this Thursday, April 9th at 7:00pm.

Our mission is preserving history and educating our community on the heritage of the area, at no charge! This free service is made possible by membership dues and donations to our non-profit organization staffed by volunteers. Looking for a place to serve behind the scenes? Love learning about events, places, people or projects? Interested in sharing a historical subject? We have a need for volunteers and great respect for them, too! Come by 123 N Market St. in downtown Benton, Arkansas to learn more.

Hope to see you soon!
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03/16/2026

The Saline County History & Heritage Society board of directors welcomes students from Saline County graduating in 2026 to apply for our $500 scholarship. Please see requirements and details at the link below and apply online.

We look forward to supporting the study of history through funding further education!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdui9qhqIeWTSRcrDfjVDMhuF3tgZISmVpyiHp0QJlpk-1rzg/viewform

03/15/2026

A few photos from our field trip yesterday following the to Historic Washington State Park in Hempstead County… We were blessed with the perfect weather for a tour! As declared by then Governor Flanagin upon Little Rock falling to Union forces, Arkansas’ confederate state capitol is amazingly well preserved. The site flourished from 1863-65 during the Civil War and showcases today the life and times of pioneer Arkansans, a host of historic homes, a post office, mercantile, blacksmith shop, tavern, jailhouse, farmers market, barns, gardens, school, and churches. Additionally, the largest magnolia tree and other horticultural wonders such as a giant crabapple tree, variety of flowers (jonquils particularly) and herbs are noted along the easily walkable paths. More to follow!

03/08/2026

02/07/2026

Thursday, February 12th, 2026 marks our second program of the year with guest speaker and avid historian, Mark Kalkbrenner presenting the History of the Salem Camp Meetings in Saline County. The program begins at 7:00pm at 123 N Market Street in downtown Benton and is open to the public at no charge.

Interested in becoming a member of the Saline County History & Heritage Society? Join us for just $25 this year per household. The research center is typically open (staffed by volunteers) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and by appointment.

Hope to see you there!

01/16/2026

We had a great turnout for our first program of 2026 with Matt Albright displaying photos and videography of Saline County he’s taken with his drone and creatively produced through his incredible talent. Matt explained the features and benefits of utilizing drones for aerial photography and provided insight to the audience on his artistic preferences. Along with historic images, Matt shared his love for Saline County as a community, relating his passion for giving back to a place and its people that have supported him in his personal journey.

Saline County History and Heritage Society has hired Matt to produce for us a series of images of 10 historic sites which we will have on display at the center and online once complete! Stay tuned!

For more information and a look at recent works, please visit Matt’s website at AlbrightDrone.com