General Articles.
William Anderson Hatfield—better known as “Devil Anse” Hatfield—was one of the most formidable and controversial figures in Appalachian history. As the patriarch of the Hatfield family during the infamous Hatfield–McCoy feud, he became a symbol of frontier justice, loyalty, and violence along the rugged borderlands of West Virginia and Kentucky. Early Life and Background Born […]
William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield Read More »
By Dwight Williamson When I was a sixth-grade student at Verdunville Grade School, my homeroom teacher was a silver-haired lady named Hattie Hale. Mrs. Hale’s son, Harold, either was at the time or had been Logan County state road supervisor. Back then, that most certainly meant her son likely was a key factor in local
Carmello “Mel” Cottone went from Mt. Gay to the White House Read More »
By Dwight Williamson Part II History, especially local history, has a way of just fading away with time. Unfortunately, people and places that were once revered in our youth too often leave us without a new generation ever knowing their former values, be them significant or just trivial. For example, as I daily travel by
Mel Cottone rubbed elbows with presidents Read More »
By Dwight Williamson Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series involving the amazing life of a former Logan Countian, who, like so many other former Loganites over the years, managed not only to prosper and make a name for himself in American history, but also to make Logan County proud in doing
Mel Cottone recalls growing up in Logan Read More »
By Dwight Williamson There’s a quote I recently saw from British author Virginia Woolf that says, “Nothing has really happened until it has been recorded.” If you give that quote some thought, you might agree with me in believing that history — be it on the tiniest of levels — is important to document in
Logan area had thriving Italian community Read More »
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 »