The city's population boomed during expanded aluminium production during World War II and shrank rapidly with output of the ore. Bauxite was incorporated as a town in 1973.

Throughout the Great Depression, ALCOA provided a standard of living for its employees that was generally un-matched during that period of economic turbulence.

When World War II broke out, Bauxite was again called into martial action, with production rapidly increasing with the need for refined aluminum to produce airplanes and other material.

Donald M. Nelson, the Chairman of the WPA, requested that ALCOA president, Arthur V. Davis implement a three-shift, 24-hour production schedule.

This rapid rise in output led to a 1943 annual production of 6,000,000 short tons (5,400,000 t) of ore.[3] Production began to slow as the war drew to a close, but the city's population and infrastructure had swelled to include multiple new communities and a larger school district.

In 2008, the museum erected "Unsung Heroes," a life-size series of bronze statues sculpted by Gary Alsum at the property's corner.

George Cole, (1920-1923) who went on to coach and become athletic director at the University of Arkansas, and Leon "Muscles" Campbell (1943-1945) who played for the NFL's Baltimore Colts, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers, both played at Bauxite.

In recent history, head football coach Jon Watson led the Miners for nearly two decades before retiring in 2010.

Watson now ranks seventh overall in victories for high school football coaches in Arkansas.

Bauxite operates under a city council system with a mayor as the presiding executive officer.

As a part of rural Saline County and a bedroom community to Little Rock, Bauxite has an often convoluted political dynamic.

In the Bauxite city precinct, Creekmore narrowly lost to Hutchinson 51%-49%, while Mayberry beat his Democratic challenger by a 76% to 24% margin.