American History & Genealogy Project   Village of Lucien

 

            Lucien was named after Mr. Lucien Scott.

            Mississippi Central Railroad was built in the early twentieth century.  The line ran from Hattiesburg to Natchez.  Usually it consisted of two coaches, a mail coach and a passenger coach.  The engine was powered by coal. The first passenger train ran in 1907 or 1908.  There was depot in Lucien and side tracks where trains could pass each other.  There was a large water tank furnished by an artesian well where the trains took on water.  The artesian well still flows there.

            Many years ago, there was a sawmill at Lucien.  A track was built similar to a railroad track that a small engine ran on.  This little engine pulled several flat cars loaded with logs for the sawmill from outlying areas toward Damascus and out into the edge of Lincoln County.  This little engine was a called a “Dummy”. After the tracks were removed, the old trace of tracks was converted into a road.  Now it is a country-to-market road named “The Dummy Line Road”.   This road is now blacktopped and runs from Highway 84 to Damascus Baptist Church.

            Main Street of Lucien paralleled the railroad which had four stores.  The store owners were Mr. Gene Rushing, Mr. Frank Parson, Mr. Dick Rainwater and Mr. Tommy Wooten.  Mr. Wooten’s store contained a post office.  On the west end of the street was a two level hotel owned by Mr. Rainwater.

            In later years, Mr. Harrison Cupit owned a cotton gin at the east end of the street.  Mr. Bud Kennedy owned a store on the corner of the main road through Lucien and on the corner of Highway 84.

            Lucien’s first physician and dentist or jack-of-all-trades was Dr. Hudson who extracted teeth with pliers and no pain killer.  Many years after Dr. Lofton had an office combined with the post office across the street from the church.

            The first school house was a two story building on the corner of what is now Highway 84 and Church Street.  School was taught on the first floor and on the second floor was Woodmen of the World which was a lodge for men only. (W.O.W.)

            What is now highway 84 was just a narrow country road from Brookhaven to Meadville or maybe Natchez which was made into a gravel road between 1915 and 1920.  The labor was done by convicts dressed in uniforms of black and white stripes.  The road was blacktopped during 1937 and 1938.  It was then a two lane highway.

            Law and order was kept by a justice of the piece, Mr. Rank Terrel and constable, Mr. Eustus Wooten.  After their deaths during the med 30’s, Mr. John McIntyre and Mr. Jim Posey were elected and served until the mid 50’s.

            In the early twenties a consolidated school was built and children from outlying areas were bused in including some from Lincoln County.  In the late forties, the school was disbanded and the students were bussed to McCall Creek then later to Meadville.  Lucien School grounds were donated to Lucien Baptist Church for a cemetery.  Mr. John Adrian McIntyre was the first person buried at this cemetery in 1956.

            Lucien Baptist Church was first built near the old two story school building.  It was lighted for night services by carbide lights.  The church was rebuilt where it is located now after a tornado blew it off its blocks.

 

Written by: Rosalie McIntyre Mullins --- Contributed by: Billy Mullins