Salt production served as the state's first major industry in the early 19th century.

Saltworks developed first by Native Americans, and the French had settled at the Great Salt Spring on the south side of the Saline River, about five miles downstream from Equality.

Beginning in 1803, salt works were also developed at Half Moon Lick, southwest of Equality on the north side of the Saline River.

Half Moon Lick is now on private land, but the Great Salt Springs are on public lands in the Shawnee National Forest, about one mile west of the Saline River bridge across Illinois Route 1 on Salt Well Road.

It was originally in the John Marshall House, which has been rebuilt and serves as the museum of the Gallatin County Historical Society.

[5][6] The law allowed African slaves to be imported to the site until 1825, when the exemption expired.

Since 2000, Gallatin County has followed the same political trajectory as Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia and Appalachian regions of adjacent states, whereby the Democratic Party’s liberal views on social issues have produced dramatic swings to the Republican Party amongst its almost entirely Southern white population.