"Bright Star", Arkansas, in Miller County ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: GVRICHARDS@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free Information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Files may be printed or copied for Personal use only. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Bright Star", Arkansas, in Miller County, (Lafayette County), Sulphur Township By Miss Alta Hicks and Mildred Cash Taken from the book "Bloomburg U.S.A in Cullen Baker Country", by the Bloomburg Historical Committee. Surname index to writing below- Bailey, Baker, Blanton, Criger, Curry, Davis, Dodd, Eason, Foster, Hazel, Hicks, Jeter, Kelly, Mathis, McCasland, McGee, Mitchell, Morris, Mound, Noble, Patterson, Rose, Stevens, Stuckey, Tyson, Wooliver. This history of Bright Star, Arkansas was written by Miss Alta Hicks, daughter of the well-known Judge, Floyd C. Hicks, now a resident of Kiblah, Arkansas. Miss Hicks tells the story well in a few words. It would require volumes to relate the entire history of this once famous community. Practically every gray-haired person in this section recalls the fact that Bright Star was once one of the most widely known communities in the south back in it's balmy days. Many scenes that would make volumes of hair raising history were enacted back in the days of the ox cart and six shooter law around old Bright Star. We are pleased to offer this bit of interesting reading to our friends. Miss Hicks article, in full, here follows; During 1840, when this part of the country was known as the western frontier, many people of all classes and conditions emigrated from Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, and other states to the east, almost every one looking for a new country in which to settle. About this time, some families by the name of * Stuckey, following the usual custom of people coming west, settled in a locality about eight miles west of the Red River, eight miles north of the Louisiana line, and five miles east of the Texas line. There were other settlers who came to this locality many years before this time, but about the first settlers of whom we have any account are the Stuckeys. After the Stuckeys became permanently settled, the little settlement became known to travelers as Stuckeyville. The Stuckeys being thrifty and industrious people, the settlement grew and became a landmark on the western frontier, well known to travelers. One mild, starlight night, two men traveling on horseback arrived at the little village of Stuckeyville. As they rode near the village one of the men, upon looking up at the stars, observed one of unusual brightness, and called attention of his companion to the bright star, saying that it was the brightest star he had ever noticed. His friend was also impressed by the unusual brightness of the star. The two travelers, being strangers and not knowing the name of the little settlement through which they passed, frequently mentioned it as the place where they had first noticed the bright star, and finally they simply designated the place in their conversation with each other as "Bright Star", and thus it became known to many travelers as Bright Star. At some time, possibly several years before the civil war, a post office was established at Bright Star. The mail route which supplied Bright Star, extended from Linden, Texas to Lewisville, Arkansas, Bright Star, and Spring Bank. The mail was carried on horseback and the mail carrier was often encountered by bears and panthers on his journey. The place gradually grew into a village of importance, and was well known to travelers from eastern states. At the beginning of the Civil War it had grown to be a trading center for a large area of the surrounding country. It contained eight or ten general merchandise stores and about the same number of saloons. The merchandise was transported from Jefferson, Texas, in wagons drawn by oxen and up the Red River by steamboats which landed at Spring Bank, about eight miles east of Bright Star. It was a frontier town in which liquor traffic was carried on extensively. And a resort for all classes of people, and it became known in all parts of the country as a rough and rowdy place. Men frequently fought and killed each other. At this time the territory now composing Lafayette and Miller Counties was all one county, known as Lafayette. The site of government was at Lewisville, about forty miles from Bright Star. Red River was between the two places and consequently the people were a "law unto themselves". Disputes were usually settled by the use of weapons. However, there have always been good law abiding people in and around Bright Star, but during early days they were in a small minority. At the beginning of the Civil War, a young man by the name of * Joe Tyson organized at Bright Star a company of volunteers for the Confederate Army. Some of the members of this company were at Appomattox Court House, in Virginia at the time of Lee's surrender, and through many hardships, retraced their was back to Bright Star, one of whom was my great-grandfather, * Isaac Kelly. Captain Joe Tyson came back to Bright Star and spent the remainder of his life as a minister of the gospel. Among the early merchants of Bright Star were: * Turk Bailey, * S.L. Baker, * H.W. Stuckey, * John Stevens, and * Isaac Kelly. Among the pioneer physicians were * Dr. Stuckey, * Dr. Mitchell, * Dr. McGee, * Dr. Blanton, * Dr. Curry, * Dr. Jeter, * Dr. Dodd, and later the * Dr. McCaslands and * Dr. Mathis. * Patrick Hazel was the first jeweler. He came from Indiana to Bright Star and spent the rest of his life here. His son, * J.A. Hazel, is a jeweler here until the present day. * James Stevens was engaged in the hotel business. The schoolhouses were of the rude fashion of pioneer schools and among the first teachers was * Professor Wooliver, who was totally blind and was also a great musician. There were pool halls, tenpin alleys, swimming pools, dance halls and many other places of amusement in Bright Star. Circuses and menageries, with the usual accompaniment of sideshows, were exhibited here. * William Foster operated a saw mill near Bright Star for many years. He was the father-in-law of the outlaw, Cullen Baker. One of the amusing incidents happened at Bright Star during its balmy days was concerning * Dr. A.C. McCasland, a man beloved and respected by all who knew him, and because he was of a jovial nature, was the subject of many pranks played by his friends. "Doc", as he was called, became enraged at a negro by the name of Ben Johnson and remarked to some of his friends that he was going to kill him. One cold night while snow was on the ground, some of his friends procured an old dummy man, which had been used to scare hawks, and placed it in a street in Bright Star and "Doc" drew his revolver, walked to the door, fired at the dummy and it fell. "Doc", supposing he had killed Ben, got on his horse and fled from his home. Some of his friends immediately got on their horses and rode about four miles for "Uncle Tommy Thomas," who was Justice of the Peace, to hold an inquest. Uncle Tommy was aroused from his peaceful slumber and proceeded on horseback to the scene of the tragedy. After viewing the body by the dim light of a lantern, he held inquest according to law. Some of the jury of inquest, knowing the joke, handled Ben roughly and received the repremandment of Uncle Tommy, who said, "Although his skin is black he had a soul." The verdict of the jury of inquest was held to the effect that Ben met his death by a bullet from Doc's pistol, after which the body was to be buried, this accordingly done in an alley nearby, and upon a slab placed at the head of the grave was written this epitaph- Here lies Ben Johnson, Cold and straight, He's gone to wait at the Golden Gate. Here lies Ben Johnson dead as a rock, He came to his death at the hands of old Doc. Before Uncle Tommy had time to make out his fee bill, the joke was revealed, and the boys had to dig up a nice little sum of cash and deliver it to him to appease his anger, thus the tragedy ended. At the advent of the Texas pacific Railway, trading points were established at Atlanta and Queen City, Texas, which caused Bright Star to begin to decline. Many people moved to new towns on the railroad, and the leading merchants established themselves in business in the railroad towns. Some years later, the Kansas City Southern Railway came through, and all the business concerns left Bright Star and the post office was discontinued. Bright Star was placed on a rural route, and today all these events are merely a memory of the past. Although Bright Star will never be a trading point again, it is making progress in a glorious undertaking. One of the greatest rural high schools in the state of Arkansas is being established here. People of high intelligence and integrity have made this possible by the consolidation of thirteen school districts. This writer can only bring Bright Star up to date by continuing to relate the history of Bright Star Consolidated School District. After * Mr. W.E. Davis, Superintendent, came the following men; * Mr. Tommie Criger, * W.D. Rose, * Cecil Morris, * W.D. Mound. These were good years for not only the Morris', but a staff of fine teachers working under him and with him, serving well the people of Sulphur township. In the year 1937, * Fred Patterson built and began operating the Campus Store. This was the "Lean Years", which Fred began his business on a shoestring. * Cornelia, Mrs. Patterson, was already a teacher in the Bright Star School system. They had living quarters in the back of the store. His buisness went slowly at first, but it grew as the years passed. The Depression years were disappearing and economic conditions began to improve. * Cecil Morris was a good school man. He was a faithful servant of Sulphur Township or Bright Star Consolidated School. * Mrs. Morris, (Myrtle) , was an efficient first grade teacher throughout her years in the system. Mrs. Morris retired in 1972. * Mrs. Patterson taught anywhere she was placed. She was homemaking teacher when she first came to Bright Star. She finally settled for the sixth grade, her latter years, until she retired. Another faithful teacher, who retired about the time the Morris' did was Mrs. Mae Eason. She was a faithful and untiring worker. Another native born, long time teacher still in the school system is * Nellie Stuckey Noble. She graduated in 1944 from high school and began her teaching career in 1946. As these others, she too has given many faithful years of service. We can say for the above mentioned teachers, they were faithful to their profession and will long be remembered as contributing to the trying, but rewarding task of teaching and molding children's lives.