General Articles.
By Dwight Williamson The Logan Banner did not exist when the county of Logan or the village that is now known as the town of Logan came into existence. In fact, it wasn’t until 1888 that the newspaper started being published as The Logan County Banner. The point being that there are no real written […]
Graveyards abounded under Logan streets Read More »
By Dwight Williams EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part two of a column on Tennis Hatfield of the famous feuding family of Logan and Mingo County and the Blue Goose saloon. The Hatfield-McCoy Feud is world renowned, but few people know about what could be termed the “Hatfield-Chafin Feud;” a bitter political feud between former business
Tennis Hatfield and the Blue Goose Saloon Read More »
By Dwight Williamson There have been countless stories and several books written in regard to Devil Anse Hatfield and the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. However, perhaps the most interesting character of this entire bunch is the youngest child of the famous Hatfield leader, his 13th born offspring, Tennis Samuel Hatfield. It was
The story of Tennis Hatfield, son of Devil Anse Read More »
The Logan Banner, November 3, 1937 First Houses Were Loga Cabins Equipped With Handmade and Rude Furniture; Bushel of Salt Worth Cow and Calf By Frank Elwood Brazie It is not definitely known who the first settler into the Guyandotte Valley was, but most information points to Peter Dingess, who built a cabin at the
Early Life In The Guyan Valley Vividly Pictured Read More »
Logan Banner, Thursday, September 5, 1985 EDITOR’S NOTE: Today The Banner concludes Its long series about the 1932 murder case of Mamie Thurman. With today’s closing article, reporter Dwight Williamson recounts some of his personal experiences and’ observances during the three weeks he has been researching the case. BY DWIGHT WILLIAMSON If there is one
Since Mamie Thurman’s Day, Has Logan Changed? Read More »
Logan Banner, Wednesday, September 4, 1985 By Dwight Williamson The quest to locate the final resting place of Mamie Thurman has not been an easy one, and it is doubtful many will ever agree on where it is. But, there are those alive in Logan County today who remember her case, her funeral and her
Local Man Remembers Thurman’s Funeral, Burial Read More »
Logan Banner, Monday, September 2, 1985 By Dwight Williamson Part 15 of a Series It was early afternoon, Thursday, Oct. 14, 1932 when the prosecution started calling its last witnesses to the stand during the murder trial of black handyman Clarence Stephenson. He was accused of what could be the crime of the century in
IN 1932 THURMAN CASE…Trial Evidence Showed Tight Logan Community Read More »
Logan Banner Tuesday, September 3, 1985 By Dwight Williamson If you don’t have it on paper, you don’t have it. Just about any government bureaucrat will tell you that. You may be standing and breathing before one of ’em and if you don’t have a birth certificate, you aren’t officially alive and couldn’t prove it
Thurman’s Death Certificate Uncovered Read More »
By Dwight Williamson The original mountaineers of this part of what became West Virginia brought with them many skills; one of which was the art of making their own corn liquor known as moonshine. Even after the coal industry started booming in the county, there were many residents who made a decent living making the
Frank Hall was a legendary moonshiner Read More »
Few stories from American history have captured the imagination quite like the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Part legend, part tragedy, and part frontier drama, this prolonged clash between two Appalachian families became a symbol of the dangers of personal vendetta—and a defining chapter in the mythology of the American South. Origins in
The Hatfield–McCoy Feud: America’s Most Famous Family Conflict Read More »