Lincoln, Washington County, Arkansas
James Starr
James Starr, eldest son of John and Hannah Osborn Starr,
was born November 14, 1814 in Indiana. James married Belinda
Clem, daughter of Michael and Jane Clem from Ohio, on
February 16, 1838 in Warren County, Indiana. The family moved
to Bourbon County, Kansas where James and son John served in
the 6th Kansas Calvary. During the Civil War, James visited
Washington County. On April 20th, 1870 he purchased 256 acres
of land from Lewis Cheatham which were situated in Cane Hill
Township, just east of what is now the city of Lincoln. The area
became known as Starr Hill for several years. As the community
grew, James was instrumental in the formation of a voting
precinct. A new township was officially established on July 30,
1884 named Starr Hill in his honor. James was a farmer and
carpenter. After Belinda died in 1894, he married Maria Frazier.
He and Belinda had four children: Jane, John, I lannah and
William.
Jane (born February 14, 1839) married Joseph Liburn Carter
in 1861 at Bourbon County, Kansas and moved to Washington
County with her father in 1870. They owned and operated the
first store in the community. After Starr Hill Township was
founded, a post office was established in their store. Liburn
Carter has been given credit for submitting the name Lincoln for
the new post office and it became official on January 13, 1885.
Jane and Liburn had seven children: John; James, who married
Mae Rauch and Willie Rhea; Hannah, who married John
Murphy; Nancy, who married Sam Martin; Eva, who married
George Burns. Many of their descc1Hlants still live in the Lincoln
area.
John (born August 14, 1841) married Susan Hobson and
Margaret Jones. John was a prominent carpenter in Eureka
Springs and Lincoln. I le helped in the construction of many
homes and businesses. He had seven children: Adah, died young;
Beatrice, who married Seely Kinne; David, who married Pearl
Boyle; Mary, who married George Miller; John Waren, who
married Minnie Slater; Burton, who married Estell Holt;
Theodore, who married Eva Morris.
Hannah (born August 9, 1843) married L. J. Symonds and
James Gifford. She had no children, but was remembered for her
tender nursing care.
William (born October 8, 1848) married Martha Thompson
and Sarah Henson. William was a well-known apple grower in
Lincoln and also participated in the building of Lincoln. He and
Martha had four children: James, Samuel, Ivah, and Ollie.
Ollie married Louis Heyne. They lived for a time in Lincoln
and Gentry before moving to Craig, Colorado.
Many contributions and achievements of James Starr and his
family have been recorded in the history of Lincoln. Today, the
name Starr is remembered by Starr Street in Lincoln and the
township is still known as Starr Hill.
Information for this family history was obtained from the
genealogy compiled by: Earl D. Starr; Barbara Light Starr; Gayle
Starr Mooney, 1986.
By: Earl D. Starr
John Bell Steele
A poet, a scholar, a statesman, a military hero, a devout
Christian family man, a gallant handsome man - John Bell
Steele.
James married Lodelia Craven and is the grandfather of this
writer. He moved to California where many descendants reside.
Samuel married Catherine Brown and was a well-known car- Guy Cooper Steele - 1874, Age 5
penter and businessman in Lincoln. His daughter, Ilene Starr
Bain, lives in Iola, Kansas and has this memory. "The church
that Dad, Grandpa Starr and Uncle John worked on was called
the North Methodist Church. There was another church in the
south part of town called the South Methodist. There were two
churches mostly because of politics. Most of the North Methodist
people were Republicans and the South Methodist people were
Deomcrats. The Civil War was still on the minds of some people.
Attending church was a big part of our lives and I can remember
Grandpa Starr and Waldo's Grandfather Bain always sitting in
the north east corner of the church which was called the
"AMEN CORNER". All of the old men sat in that corner, at
least I thought they were old. They probably weren't much past
fifty-five years of age. The women would all sit together and the
young people would get as far back to the back of the church as
possible. Grandma Martha Starr was said to have been a good
'shouting Methodist' but I don't remember her."
Ivah married "Judge" Eugene King. He was an early
postmaster, Justice of the Peace, Notary Public and merchant of
Lincoln. They owned one of the first automobiles in Lincoln.
Their home on North Street in Lincoln was the finest in the area
and was believed to have had the first hot and cold running
water.
Ollie married Louis Heyne. They lived for a time in Lincoln
and Gentry before moving to Craig, Colorado.
Many contributions and achievements of James Starr and his
family have been recorded in the history of Lincoln. Today, the
name Starr is remembered by Starr Street in Lincoln and the
township is still known as Starr Hill.
Information for this family history was obtained from the
genealogy compiled by: Earl D. Starr; Barbara Light Starr; Gayle
Starr Mooney, 1986.
By: Earl D. Starr