Saline County

Saline County was formed on November 2, 1835, from parts of Pulaski and Hempstead counties. Its name comes from early salt works in the area that supplied salt to all of Arkansas and shipped salt to Tennessee, Louisiana, and east Texas. The county seat is Benton. The landscape of Saline County is hilly terrain in the north and rolling hills in the south. At one time Arkansas accounted for 97% of the country's production of bauxite, used to make aluminum and most of that came from Saline County. Benton is geographically in the center of the state and within minutes of metropolitan amenities, enjoys the small town comfort along with national forest recreation and natural beauty. The Saline River runs through the county offering good fishing. The Gann Museum of Saline County is composed of large bauxite boulders and contains a collection of antiques and memorabilia on the county's history. As of the 2000 census, Saline County had a population of 83,529 residents.