Historical Summit

Annual event in Benton to help preserve past

The second annual Historical Summit will take place Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Saline County Courthouse in Benton. Coordinator Jenny Carlisle with Saline County Preservation said she wants to bring together other groups within the city and the county and get them talking to each other.

“These are people archiving important information about hometown and county,” she said. “We want them to come together and share resources and ideas.”

Each group will have about five minutes to talk about its family or organization and what it is doing to keep the past alive. Last year, Carlisle said, about 10 people attended the event, but organizers are expecting a much larger group this year.

“It was a good start,” she said, “but we have added three members to our organization, and the public is more aware of it.

“So we got the word out, and it should be successful.”

Saline County Preservation acts as an umbrella group for all the historical groups, Carlisle said, assisting with grants and helping other organizations get funding. Currently, the organization is trying to help get a monument placed at Veterans Plaza in Benton for a medal-of-honor recipient.

Maj. Oscar Miller of Bryant died during World War I in France and is buried there. Carlisle said she hopes to get some sort of recognition in his home county for his service.

SAM PIERCE/TRILAKES EDITION Former Benton Mayor Lynn Moore, dressed as William Lockhart, the founder of the first settlement in Saline County, stands on the steps of the gazebo in front of the Saline County Courthouse in Benton. Moore is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the...