#B. Bailey Varner

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#graficos #whisper hill #Alexis Graham #B. Bailey Varner #Curtis Lehmann #Karl Schmidt

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Carl’s Blog: CLEBURNE COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE; carlsblog.online; Arkansas-hillbilly.com; http://sbpra.com/CarlJBarger

5-5-19: The History of Miller, Cleburne County, Arkansas:  The little town of Miller, Arkansas, was located on Highway 16, between Heber Springs and what is today, Greers Ferry, Arkansas.  The location of Miller is now under the Greers Ferry Lake.  Before the lake came through in 1963, the little town and community of Miller was a thriving little town.  About sixty families lived in and around Miller.  When the M&NA Railroad was in operation, Miller was a routine stop for the railroad.  The little town had both a depot and a hotel.  The hotel did a good business during the several years of the life of the M&NA Railroad.  Today, because of the Greers Ferry Lake, there are no signs the little community ever existed.  All that is left is its history that records its people and their role in its growth and development.  The little community of Miller, Arkansas, was named after Christian Miller, who came from Callaway County, Tennessee, sometime around 1848.  The Miller’s homesteaded land along the fertile valley made by the Little Red River, just north of Miller's Point on Round Mountain.  The 1850, U. S. Census lists the Miller family in Giles Township which at the time was located in Van Buren County.  Sometime before 1860, Valley Township was formed.  The 1850 census reported the following members in the Christian Miller family:  Christian Miller, age forty-one, and head of family; Nancy Miller, age thirty-seven, his wife: John Bailey Miller, age sixteen, son; James Lafayette Miller, age eleven, son; Mary C. Miller, age nine, daughter; and Odile Emily Miller, age one. Those neighbors living in and around the Millers in the 1850 and 1860 federal census were: Henry Winkler, Charles Nelson, Wm. Trailer, John Helms, Bucker Solomon, Marty Lafferty, Thomas Cullum, J. L. Morton, William Cullum, William Michaels, John Thomason, John Woods, Hiram Allison, William Stewart, Browns, Thomas Edward, and Margaret Folks.  Others living in the Valley Township were; Allen, Bean, Brewer, Burns, Connors, Duncan, Goff, Freeman, Folks, Harmon's, Hartwick, Kaylor’s, Lafferty’s.  Ridgeway, Shearer, and Smithers.  In the 1860 census. Christian Miller and his son, John B. Miller were found in Valley Township, Van Buren County, Arkansas.  On October 18, 1860, a post office was chartered in Miller, Arkansas, and Christian Miller became the first postmaster.  He died on November 7, 1860, and his son, John Bailey Miller, was appointed postmaster.  The post office was discontinued on July 6, 1866, and the people of Miller, got their mail from Kinderhook and Shiloh.  John Bailey Miler fought for the confederate army during the Civil War and achieved the rank of Captain.  Some of the residence of the Miller area and Valley Township by 1920's were: Allen’s, Brady’s, Beasley’s, Bedwells, Beshears, Brady's, Browns, Burns, Carr, Comin Couches, Davis, Estes, Fakes, Gathers, Goff’s, Halls, Harmons, Hotness, Howells, Holmes, Hulse’s, James, Jennings, Jones, Kelley’s, Loves, Millers, McFall’s, Moore’s, Norton’s, Pierces, Poles, Rammers, Reynolds, Rush’s, Scotts, Shipley’s, Smiths, Sparkman’s, Starks, Troy’s, Varner’s, Wards, Wallers, Walters, Warner’s, Webb’s, Wests, Whites, Woods, and Wyatt’s.  In 1921, the little town of Miller was almost wiped out by a fire.  The remains of people who died and were buried in the Miller Cemetery were moved to the Shiloh Cemetery when Lake Greers Ferry was built.