Town Hub

Across Rush Creek stood the remains of houses and shops once owned by the Morning Star, where many families lived over the years, some until the late 1960s. The building nearest was the Taylor-Medley Store, started by Bill Taylor and last operated by Lee Medley, who lived in the house just to the right of the store. During the mining boom, people bought groceries there or at one of several Rush stores, mailed letters, bought stamps, and collected their mail. From the store's front porch, neighbors visited and caught up on the latest news, and marriages could take place there because the owner also served as shopkeeper, postmaster, and justice of the peace. The Taylor-Medley Store was the town's last hub, a place of business and a place for people, and the last ember of the community when it finally closed in 1956.

Arkansas · United States