Parish History: Cynthia B. Bazar, West-Kimbrell Clan, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: October 20, 1949 Winn Parish Enterprise Mrs. Bazar, 91, Tells Of War and West Clan "You're gonna break your camera" was the joking comment of 91 year old Mrs. Cynthia Bazar, when an Enterprise photographer asked to take her picture during her birthday celebration last Sunday. Nearly 100 persons attended the annual family reunion and helped Mrs. Bazar celebrate her 91st birthday at the Bazar home on the Atlanta Road Sunday. She received many beautiful gifts and well-wishes. Mrs. Bazar, one of Winn's oldest natives and a life-long resident of the Parish, was "feeling pretty good" despite an ailing leg that has confined her to a bed or chair since a painful fall in May. Although somewhat excited, what with all the fuss and bother of this special occasion, Mrs. Bazar willingly answered many questions about the "good old days." Remembers Civil War Mrs. Bazar, the former Miss Cynthia Brock, was born on Low Fred Creek just west of Atlanta on October 16, 1858. She was two years old when the Civil War broke out, and was only six years of age when it ended, but she remembers seeing the Confederate soldiers, dressed all in gray, march past her home. She remembers that her father went off to the war, and later came home because her grandfather was seriously ill. He didn't stay home long until the Confederate Cavalry came and called him away, because they needed every available man to stop the Union's advance. Not long afterward, during the heavy fighting, her father was killed. Mrs. Bazar doesn't remember when Federal forces occupied the country, but says she has "heard tell of them Yankees." All-Day Trip to Winnfield In those days, Mrs. Bazar said, it took all day long to make a round trip from Atlanta to Winnfield in their ox-drawn wagons, but, she said, "we didn't come to Winnfield very often because there wasn't nothing here but one store and a few people." Most of her family's purchases were made in Pineville. The journey to and from that city over the old Harrisonburg road required one week. On these infrequent trips the family left on Monday and returned home on Saturday night. Recalls West Clan Mrs. Bazar well remembers the infamous West Clan, which terrorized this section of Louisiana in the 1870s. Dan Dean, her first cousin, was the man who betrayed the clan, and caused the West gang's downfall. At one time, she said, her grandfather, uncle, aunt, and two cousins were locked up at Atlanta by the West Clan. "Old John West was a mighty mean man," said Mrs. Bazar, "and a mighty sorry one. All he did was kill everybody he could and steal everything he could get." She said she has no idea how many people the West Clan killed, and recalls that she was a "pretty good sized girl" when members of the Clan were executed. She heard the gunfire of the posse that killed them. Married In 1878 Miss Cynthia Brock married Henry C. Bazar in December, 1878, almost 71 years ago. Mr. Bazar died in January, 1944, at the age of 88. To their union eight children were born, six of whom survive. They are: Miss Seba Bazar, Ellis Bazar and Watson Bazar of Winnfield, Mrs. Laura Lashley of Atlanta, Mrs. Lola Lashley of Verda, and Mrs. Belle King of Monroe. Mrs. Bazar lived on the old farm place four miles east of Atlanta nearly 70 years. A year ago she moved to Winnfield and is now making her home with her son and daughter, Watson and Seba Bazar, a mile east of town on Atlanta Road. Mrs. Bazar joined the Baptist Church 71 years ago, and is now a member of the Laurel Heights Baptist Church. For many years she was a member at Sardis. She enjoys car rides, but added: "I ain't gonna go up in no airplane." When asked if she believes she will live to be 100, Mrs. Bazar answered: "I reckon so. They say I am. I'm going to be here as long as the Lord wants me to."