Blue Eye, AR - Carroll County

History of Blue Eye

The border town of Blue Eye was originally known as "Butler's Barrens", for its level, brushy topography. The area was nearly deserted during the Civil War, due to constant border conflicts and bushwackers. Elbert N. Butler was a Civil War veteran and the first postmaster of Blue Eye. The first post office was established in 1870 in Butler's home, reportedly being named "Blue Eye" for the remarkable blue eyes of Butler and his daughter. At one time, Blue Eye had an active town square and several stores. The town was also a haven for migratory pigeons in the early years, and hunters would come from distant states, traversing the "Wilderness Road" to hunt them. Local lore states that the men of Blue Eye were well-known as champions in the game of marbles. The town once made the headlines of Ripley's Believe it or Not for a rather widespread epidemic of "Pink Eye in Blue Eye".

The First Missionary Baptist Church of Blue Eye was formed in 1883, followed in 1928 by the First Free Will Baptist Church. In 1907, the post office began servicing money orders. The first schoolhouse was known as the Star Schoolhouse and was established in about 1915. In 1918, the Mo-Ark (sometimes "ARMO") Baptist Academy educational institution was founded on 10 acres of land donated by Wilson E. Butler. The new school campus featured a 2-story brick school building, auditorium, and boys' dormitory. An additional dormitory for girls was added in 1920. The Academy closed in 1930 as part of the state's school consolidation movement, later serving as an elementary school for the Green Forest public school district. The boys' dormitory structure became property of the Blue Eye Baptist Church and the girls' dorm was sold as a private residence. Blue Eye was incorporated on February 8, 1932. By the 1950s, the town boasted a small public square, three churches, two schools, a canning factory, several service stations, and other businesses.

Early settlers in the area included members of the Atchison, Avery, Ball, Bartlett, Beasley, Bowman, Bright, Butler, Caudill, Chapman, Claybough, Cox, Craven, Davis, Dodgen, Evans, Fowler, Fultz, Garrett, Garrison, Gross, Hembree, Herring, Huskey, Jones, Kearns, Matlock, Mayes, McCullough, McMonigle, McQueary, Messersmith, Nelson, Newton, O'Neal, Oswalt, Overstreet, Pitman, Rhodes, Riley, Scott, Sisk, Snowden, Stacy, Taylor, Tibbets, Ware, White, Willhite, Yates, Yocum, and Youngblood families.

Communities of Carroll County: