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Rush
Buffalo River, Marion County, Arkansas
Photographs & Info & Copyright by Brian Cormack - zap013 @ hotmail.com
Ruins of the old Morning Star mine at the ghost town of Rush,
along the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.
About this place, from the Park Service:
"The processing mill for the Morning Star Mine sat on these
foundation pillars in front of you. During the mining boom,
brought on my World War I, zinc prices soared. Profits enabled
the company to expand and modernize the mill, increasing the
mill's capacity to crush and separate 200 tons of zinc ore a
day."
The Park Service had this to say about the town:
"The Ghost Town of Rush stands as mute testimony to the
activities of a bygone era. Zinc carbonate ore was discovered in
this valley in the late 1800's and the "rush" was on. Soon the
hillsides were dotted with mines with colorful names such as
Morning Star, White Eagle, Monte Cristo, Red Cloud, Buelah,
MacIntosh, Edith and Yellow Rose. The population of the valley
rose and fell with the demands of the zinc market. The peak came
during the period 1914-1917 when more than 5,000 people were
said to have lived and worked here. At the end of World War I
the bottom fell out of the zinc market and mines were abandoned.
These buildings date from the early 1900's and were inhabited
until the 1960's, serving as homes and a general store and post
office."
Old blacksmith shop in Rush, a ghost town
along the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.
The park service sign said this about the shop:
"Standing here, let yourself imagine the roar of a blacksmith's
forge, the hiss of a bellows, and the clang of metal striking
metal. The blacksmith shop was an essential cog in the Morning
Star's operation. he kept the company's ore wagons ready and
stock teams shoed. He repaired mine equipment, forging new parts
as needed. If something broke he fixed it or remade it. Nails,
nuts, bolts, and mining tools were readily stocked and available
at the blacksmith shop.
In 1925 Lee Medley, the company's blacksmith, built this
blacksmith shop for the reopening of the Morning Star Mine. the
building had two rooms: one for forging and one for storing
parts. A large, lean-to warehouse, now gone, was attached to the
right side of the shop. There, wagon parts, pipe joints, and
fittings were stored, along with the company general manager's
prized Jordan car."
Helter Smelter
I wish I had stopped and taken a picture of the sign here, but I
think it said that the smelter was the oldest building in Rush.
It was built by a few guys who thought they could mine silver
here. When they couldn't find silver, they gave up on the land
and sold it for a fraction of the cost they paid for it. Of
course, zinc was found and then it turned into a huge mining
operation. Whoops!
Editor's Note: I just really like this picture!
Rush General Store
36°7' 59" N, 92°34' 17" W
The old general store in the ghost town of
Rush, by the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.
About this building, from the Park Service:
"Across Rush creek, in front of you, are the remains of houses
and shops once owned by the Morning Star. Many families lived
there over the years, some until the late 1960's. The building
nearest you was the Taylor-Medley Store - started by Bill Taylor
and last operated by Lee Medley. Medley lived in the house just
to the right of the store.
During the mining boom you'd probably buy groceries here (or at
one of several Rush stores). You'd mail letters, buy stamps, and
collect your mail here. Sitting on the store's front porch you
could visit with your neighbors and catch up on the latest news.
You could get married here, because the store owner was also
shopkeeper, postmaster, and justice of the peace. The
Taylor-Medley Store was the town's last hub. It was a place of
business. It was a place for people. It was the last ember of a
community when the store finally closed in 1956."
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