Graham

Forts Trail Region
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WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN SALT

Graham, Young County seat, built three previous courthouses before finally settling on the 1932 Art Moderne stone and concrete construction in use today. The Young County courthouse illustrates a classic early Modernistic style that grew in popularity when introduced in 1925 in Paris as Art Deco, and favored by counties across the state during the early part of the 20th century. The present Moderne courthouse rewards the heritage tourist with many interesting details across its exterior including relief sculptures of Young County pioneers including cattlemen, farmers, and a depiction of the arrival of the Graham brothers, the community’s namesake. The Grahams settled the townsite in 1871, purchasing and operating a saltworks along nearby Salt Creek. The banks of Salt Creek produced a harvestable amount of saline residue, enough to afford commercial production of salt, and the Grahams’ saltworks produced up to 2500 pounds of salt per day. But the operation was short-lived as transportation to market proved economically untenable. Today, Graham’s attractions feature art and history, including a combination of both at the Old Post Office Museum and Art Center. Nearby, Fort Belknap offers visitors insight into Graham’s early frontier days and, closer to home, a walking tour of historic downtown Graham is accompanied by a published guide available from the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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