Grand Saline & Salt Festival History

The Salt mining operation was known as the Grand Saline Salt Company before it evolved into Morton Salt. But before the little girl with the umbrella, there were Indians (without umbrellas). The Cherokees had barely gotten comfortable in Texas and had hardly used any of the salt, when they were driven out of Texas by the anti-Indian policies of Mirabeau Lamar. During the Civil War, the salt was essential to the war effort as a preservative and for tanning leather. It's mining was considered a vital industry.

The mining operations just a mile south of The Salt Palace, reach a depth of 700 feet and extend over a 60 acre area. A film tour of the mine is given in the Salt Palace Museum. According to a Van Zandt Co. historical marker: 5 tons of salt was mined each day and that was before the civil war. In 1982 they mined 400,000 tons. The salt found here can supply the world's craving for the next 20,000 years. After that, we'll need to find a substitute.

Grand Saline is also the birthplace of famous aviator Wiley Post. Post, who lost an eye in an oil field accident, didn't let his handicap stop him from winning speed and endurance flying records in the 20s and 30s.

Post is remembered as a native son in newspaper articles, photographs, and a small wooden model of his famous plane the "Winnie Mae" in which he set two world records by being the first man to circle the globe in 1931 and 1933. He was also the first to fly (in an experimental pressurized suit) into the stratosphere.

Will Rodgers, who was one of aviation's most ardent cheerleaders, chose Post to pilot him on an around the world flight. They died at the beginning of their trip close to Point Barrow, Alaska in August of 1935.

Post is honored with a Texas state historical marker in front of the building.