[Granville-Hough] 19 Jun 2009 - Bunker Hill 1

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:28:10 -0700
From: Granville W Hough <gwhough at oakapple.net>
Subject: BunkerHill1 - 19 June 2009

Bunker Hill 1

Old Bunker Hill was a notable place in Smith County for over fifty 
years. It even had a post office from 1852 through 1903. Sitting at the 
intersection of SullivanÆs Hollow Creek and Mill Creek, it was a natural 
site for a water mill. Great, great-uncle Mark Cole, Jr, was a builder 
of water mills; and he came from Pike County with that trade. He built a 
mill, and he and others established a village on the site to include his 
grist mill, Masonic Lodge, old Zion Hill Baptist Church, and some places 
of business. He lived there several years, then went back to Pike 
County. His son, John F. Cole, Jr, had married by that time and stayed 
in the county, settling in the Shady Grove Community. Great, great uncle 
(by marriage) Richard Story was the miller of the grain. Mark Cole, Jr's 
brother, John F. Cole, Sr, farmed along the county line, and I believe 
was across the line in Covington County when he died. I believe he was 
buried in the Miller Cemetery and a marker was placed there for him a 
few years ago. All are mentioned in early Zion Hill Baptist Church 
minutes. When old Zion Hill Church moved to Caddo Springs, its present 
location south of Mize, the New Zion Baptist Church was organized in its 
place, perhaps taking over whatever was left of the old church and its 
close members. (I believe it was this old church site where the 
Sullivans and Howells and others took their guns to church and stacked 
them in the corner. It was there that (cousin) Thomas Wilson "Wilse" 
Sullivan, died 20 Sep 1895 after being caught in the crossfire of a feud 
which erupted, some said after church services. The Mill Pond was surely 
the site of the May 1899 killing of George N. Sullivan, while he was 
fishing in the dusk on the pond. The assailants mistook him for mill 
owner Robert Dean, whom they had come to kill. They were able to 
obfuscate the evidence to such an extent that no one is sure today who 
fired the shot.).. As Bunker Hill was the center of activity for the 
Cohay Creek pioneers, it became reknowned for what went on. People were 
killed there because it was where you saw your neighbors and your 
enemies. Some people just fought for the excitement of violence. Some 
men fought for the favor of local girls. Some fought over possession of 
the mill, which was later used for processing lumber. It was possibly 
better known in its beginning than Sullivan's Hollow.
Postal records show that the postmasters of Bunker Hill were: John Swor; 
(great, great uncle) Mark Cole; John C. Freeman; D. Anderson; William T. 
Biard/Beard; James Kennedy; John Moody; Hulon H. Patrick; Thomas Buntyn; 
(great-uncle) Aaron S. Miller; Robert W. Hartman; Erasmus Carter; 
Francis Howell; John W. Sullivan; Ezekiel Q. Sullivan; Laura G. 
Sullivan; Laura Sullivan; Alice D. Sullivan; and Laura Norris. Most of 
these surnames are well known in Smith County.
When the Laurel Branch railroad came through, it bypassed Bunker Hill, 
which soon fell apart as a community center, and Mize took over. About 
1930, Maxine (Richardson) Watts recalled seeing the old Masonic Lodge 
building. Actually, the church met downstairs, and the lodge was 
upstairs. Even the Masonic Lodge eventually moved to Oak Grove Baptist 
Church and met there for many years. I have not been able to determine 
when the New Zion Baptist Church was closed. (GWH: to be continued.)