Logan County History

Early 1900s Logan was crime infused with soap opera

By Dwight Williamson A short tour of Logan will reveal from its mostly brick structures that much of its glamourous but notorious past occurred from around 1908 through the 1940s, although events of interest certainly didn’t end following World War II. It’s just that the early decades of the 1900’s are more riveting in terms […]

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Every building in downtown Logan has a story

By Dwight Williamson There is not a single building in the town of Logan that is not historically connected to the annals of times past where the names of many civic, business, and political leaders strived and even thrived in what was an ever-growing city full of vigor and vision — most of which occurred

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Logan High School almost missed being on the island

By Dwight Williamson One doesn’t have to be in downtown Logan to understand that the past is something that should not only be understood, but also appreciated for what transpired decades ago that could have changed all of what we identify with today. Sound confusing? Allow me to simplify the statement in an example. What

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Early Logan County was a ‘mess’

By Dwight Williamson The July 23rd 1929 edition of The Logan Banner proclaimed that 10,000 or more people had attended the third annual reunion of the Devil Anse Hatfield clan near the old home place on upper Island Creek. The Banner reported that “Hatfield’s, their kinsmen, neighbors and friends” all gathered in a great celebration.

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The man responsible for the creation of Mingo County

By Dwight Williamson Whether or not you are a history buff, people – especially in Logan and Mingo counties – should know that Mingo County was formed from Logan County in 1895. However, I’d bet very few people know that an old mountain moonshiner is credited with being the “daddy” of the project that led

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The Midelburg family history in Logan

By Dwight Williamson Ferdinand Midelburg. The name almost sounds like royalty. And in many ways, perhaps the former Logan millionaire was the ‘king” of the theater business – at least in Logan County. There is the community of Midelburg in the town of Logan that is located across the Guyandotte River near Stollings. And there

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Post Offices, Logan County, West Virginia

POST OFFICES – LOGAN COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA A DIGEST OF U.S. POSTAL DAILY BULLETINS OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTARY Did you know there is a Logan County in 10 different states in this country? Did you know there are 25 towns named Logan in this country? Recently, I began doing some research as to when the railroads

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A History of Logan

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Remembering the Community of Holden 22

By Dwight Williamson Like many Logan Countians who grew up in coal camp communities, we often referred to our little coal camp areas as numbers. For instance, when I was growing up and a school teacher or someone else asked me where I lived, I would answer by saying “16 Mud Fork.” It was never

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Buchanantown

By Keith Gibson Buchanantown was a small community that existed across the Guyandotte River from Lyburn, WV. Actually, it was about halfway between Lyburn and Neibert, across from the old Route 10 which is now known as “Hanging Rock Road.” I’m not really sure when the community was first called “Buchanantown” (probably between 1885 and

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