870173 TMRS CAFR new8 fix 049-081.qxd - Texas Municipal ...

Population: 3,028
GRAND SALINE
The home of one of the largest salt mines in the
U.S. is situated 74 miles east of Dallas. Grand
Saline, on U.S. Highway 80 in northeastern Van
Zandt County, has a colorful history of railroads,
cotton, oil, lumber, clothing manufacturing,
truck crops, and meat packing. The small
salt works established in 1845 became Morton
Salt in 1920 and employed 950 workers by
1945. The Salt Palace, built in 1993, is the
fourth salt structure since the original salt
palace and is the only building in North America
made of salt. Today Grand Saline is reclaiming
its historical downtown; it was named a 2004
Texas Main Street City and a 2005 National
Main Street City.
Top left: street scene in the 1930s with
Morton Salt Company in the background;
top right: residents gather for a visit by
First Lady Laura Bush; middle left: girls
parade past the corner grocery, circa 1950;
middle right: the Salt Palace museum; bottom:
Morton Salt factory in 2005.
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