Bucktown USA Homecoming set Sunday
BUCKVILLE – Sunday, Buckville Baptist Church will host the 70th annual Bucktown USA Homecoming.
Buckville was once a thriving community nestled in the bends of the Ouachita River. It now lies beneath the waters of Lake Ouachita. Today, the only structure remaining intact from that community is the little white building, Buckville Baptist Church. The church was moved to be above water level during the summer of 1951 and stands today on the northern shore of Lake Ouachita, next to its cemetery.
Buckville Cemetery is the only surviving part of the Buckville community that is in its original location. The cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2007.
Although the church is no longer home to regular services, it still remains as a gathering place every second Sunday in June to the people known as “Bucktowners.” Descendants of these Bucktowners will once again gather and reunite with family and friends from all over the United States. Each year, families gather at the historic Buckville Church and Cemetery for a day of “remembering the good ole days.” Flowers will be placed on the graves.
A business meeting of the Buckville Church and Cemetery Association will take place at 10: 30 a. m. At noon, the bell will ring, a blessing will be said and then it is dinner on the grounds with good ole’ country cooking just like “grandma” used to make.
The Buckville Church and Cemetery links people to an earlier time and place, and to the communities that are no more.
Sadly, each year it finds fewer original “Bucktowners.” Hopefully, their diligent ways have been handed down to new generations to carry on this yearly gathering.
The new generations are the “Bucktowners of Tomorrow” and now more than ever we need to keep their memories alive and make our Bucktown ancestors proud. For information about the Buckville Homecoming, call 282 - 5776.