On April 11, the Bryant Historical Museum opened its doors to the public.
“We’re excited we have it,” said member Kathy Lewallen. “People don’t realize how much history is in Bryant.”
The project began after Lewallen, along with co-member Patsy Kuhn, began tackling the task of archiving Bryant’s history. The discovery of the hidden Kirkpatrick Cemetery, found when when Bryant businesses began expanding offices, led to the society working to place the cemetery on the Arkansas Registry. From there, Kuhn said, their job grew.
Included among the artifacts are campaign buttons and posters; photos of the prior Bryant school, which burned in the 1950s; old fireman uniforms; an antique spinning wheel; relics of the old Prickett dairy farm; and an announcement regarding president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s visit through town by train.
“Bryant’s history has changed,” Lewallen said. “Agriculture is what Bryant was known for. Now we’re a bedrock community. Bryant has grown so fast.”
Excerpted from the Saline County Courier.
• Open every other Sunday from 1 to 4
• Open to the public and free
• Open this Sunday, May 19th
• Steve Purdue, President of Saline County History and Heritage will present the History of Bryant on Tuesday, May 21st at 6:30pm in the museum
• Will have a program on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 where people can donate or loan pictures and memorabilia pertaining to Bryant. Copes or pictures of items can be made if someone doesn't want to donate the original item.
• There will be both permanent and temporary exhibits