Historical Population as per the U.S. Census:

Bryant (Saline County) is a small town that is currently growing and developing into an extension of the Little Rock (Pulaski County) metropolitan area. The town has a long history of local and regional significance, although it has had few residents for most of its history. From the early days of the railroad in central Arkansas to the construction of an interstate, Bryant has been at the forefront of transportation in the state.

Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood
Bryant’s earliest inhabitants of European descent settled along Hurricane Creek in the early part of the nineteenth century. Local legend holds that these pioneers were traveling to Texas when they came upon the flooded creek and were unable to cross for several days. While waiting for an opportunity to cross the creek, they became attached to the area and decided to stay there instead of continuing on to Texas. A settlement called Dogwood Springs (founding date unknown) existed just to the north of present-day Bryant prior to 1835. In that year, Dogwood Springs became known as Collegeville.

Civil War through the Gilded Age
On October 23, 1864, Federal and Confederate forces met just outside of present-day Bryant in a minor engagement of the Civil War known as the Skirmish at Hurricane Creek, or the Battle of Hunter’s Crossing. After raiding a Confederate arsenal at Princeton (Dallas County), Federal troops were met by the Eleventh Arkansas Confederate Cavalry. The skirmish was of little tactical significance, but it resulted in twenty-eight men killed and eleven wounded. After the fighting, the women of the area went to the battlefield to care for the wounded soldiers and bury the dead.

After the Civil War, present-day Bryant benefited from the growth in infrastructure that took place during the Reconstruction era throughout the South. In 1871, the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad began work on a line from Little Rock. This was completed in 1873.

The railroad helped the town to grow. Many businesses, including a canning factory, opened around the Bryant train depot. In 1878, the Bryant Township was created. This was the first time the name Bryant was used officially for the settlement. Prior to this time, the area was part of the Owen Township. The township continued to grow, and on October 29, 1892, Bryant became an incorporated town. Bryant reincorporated in 1946 when its first mayor, Conway Ashley, was elected.

Early Twentieth Century
The Great Depression seems to have started early in Bryant. Beginning around 1910 and ending in the 1930s, the population of the town and surrounding area was in decline. Either as an effect or cause of this decline, many stores and businesses closed their doors, including the hotel and the canning factory

World War II through Modern Era
During World War II, the bauxite deposits near Bryant became vital to the American war effort. Two aluminum plants were built near Bryant at Bauxite (Saline County), which created a period of economic growth as well as a dramatic increase in Bryant’s population. Between 1940 and 1950, the town’s population increased from 173 to 387.

On May 5, 1965, the Bryant School Board desegregated its schools, mostly without incident. Prior to that time, African-American students living in Bryant, as well as in the rest of Saline County, attended a separate school located in Alexander (Pulaski County). In the spring of 1966, Ronald Wallace, William Wallace, and Ken Jones became the first black students to graduate from Bryant High School.

Interstate 30 was built through Bryant during the 1950s. This created a new period of population growth that has continued to the present day. In recent decades, Bryant has become home to many commuters from Little Rock. Between 1990 and 2000, Bryant’s population increased from 5,269 to 9,764. The estimated population in 2006 was 13,613; however, only 852 of those people work in Bryant. Census figures from 2000 list the town’s population as 95.2 percent white/non-Latino. Black residents make up 1.5 percent of the population, while Latino residents account for 1.1 percent.

Today, the Bryant area is gaining a number of new retail facilities and restaurants as a result of recent growth. These retailers include Lowe’s, Kohl’s, and Target. New restaurants include Chile’s, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee’s. Most of the new development is along the interstate, leaving the old center of Bryant virtually unchanged. Bryant also is the home of two people of local fame: Scott Suggs, who won one million dollars in the Forrest Wood Cup fishing tournament in 2007, and Sean Michel, who was a contestant on American Idol.

For additional information:
Boswell, Mabel Lawson, and Valine Boswell Mayer. Bryant Profiles, 1828–1976. Bryant, AR: Bryant Bicentennial Committee, 1976.

Bryant Chamber of Commerce. http://www.bryant-ar.com/ (accessed December 4, 2007).

Rewes, Lawson. “In Thee We Are Sheltered.” Unpublished manuscript. Arkansas Collection. Saline County Library, Benton, Arkansas.

Steven Dyer
Bauxite, Arkansas