This week on Retracing Our Roots, we have a full house as we’re joined by Marshella Norell, president of the Mountain Home Cemetery. Together, we’ll uncover the stories behind the first burials, beginning with the Russell children in 1857. Then, the Paul family officially deeded the cemetery to the city in 1874.
Next, we’ll journey through the rich history of Baxter County and its surrounding regions, exploring familiar founding families, including names such as Baker, Bodenhamer, Byler, Casey, Dodds, Dunbar, Howard, Hicks, Shiras, Paul, Wolf, and many more.
We’ll also delve into personal histories, discussing families who settled in Mountain Home before the Civil War. This includes the significance of the Col. Randolph Casey house, which still stands on the corner of the Baxter County Fairgrounds. We’ll examine the contributions of the Benjamin F. Bodenhamer family to the Republican Party in the early 1900s, and recount the tragic assassination of Baxter County’s first sheriff, Abraham G. Byler. After being elected to his second term as sheriff, Byler formed a posse to capture an outlaw named Jesse Roper. While searching for Roper in Gassville, Sheriff Byler was shot and killed by him.
Additionally, we’ll highlight the contributions of Tom Shiras, known as the "Walking Editor of the Ozarks" for The Baxter Bulletin, and the philanthropic efforts of Dr. James Dunbar in advancing education in Mountain Home.
We look forward to bringing these historical stories together on this week’s Retracing Our Roots.
