Logan County History

The end the Hatfield political dominance

By Dwight Williamson The years from 1920 through 1932 should be of great historical significance to Logan Countians and the names of Chafin and Hatfield figure prominently during this time period when political control of the county meant everything to its leaders. The Prohibition era, which lasted from 1920 until 1933, caused more problems than […]

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A stringent look into the history of Logan County

By Dwight Williamson A stringent look into the history of Logan County will reveal that from 1924 until 1932 two of Devil Anse Hatfield’s sons pretty much ruled the county, but it should be pointed out that the “dynamic duo” really was just following up on the practices of their predecessor, Sheriff Don Chafin, who

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Finding Princess Aracoma

By Dwight Williamson At one time or another, most Logan Countians have walked right by a piece of history that was placed in downtown Logan to forever honor perhaps the county’s most historical figure—Princess Aracoma. The memorial, which stands on the northeast corner of the Logan County courthouse across the street from McCormick’s Department store,

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Monumental efforts gave us our ‘Doughboy’

By Dwight Williamson Originally placed at the Logan Courthouse in 1928, the Doughboy monument was moved to Midelburg Island in 1964. World War I was titled as a “World War” for good reason, as it was indeed a war involving many nations, costing millions of lives and included many West Virginians who were quick to

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Spiritually reuniting Logan’s pioneer couple

By Dwight Williamson This was originally published in the Logan Banner on July 30, 2014 and is republished here with the author’s permission and our special thanks. A Logan Banner story which appeared April 23 of this year concerning the historic cemetery located on High Street in Logan featured the grave site of one of

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“Boots” was anything but a normal coal miner

By Dwight Williamson Thousands of men have since about 1900 risked their lives bringing coal from the mountainous hollows of Logan County. There have been hundreds of coal mine related deaths and thousands of injuries, including broken backs and lost limbs — all for the sake of producing coal. Now, with coal mining much safer,

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The Civil War in Logan County

By Dwight Williamson Although during the Civil War Logan Countians were predominantly southern sympathizers, there were those persons of the area who actually believed in the northern cause and enlisted with the northern forces. The names of people like James A. Nighbert, John William Stratton, Henry Clay Ragland, and certainly, Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield, are

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English credited with discovering coal in Logan Co.

By Dwight Williamson There have been many notable figures who have made their homes in what is now Logan County. One such person that few people are aware of is a man who came from his native Philadelphia in 1852 to settle along the Guyandotte River to what was then sparsely settled western Virginia in

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Logan Co. people with national interest

By Dwight Williamson The events that formulate the subject matter of history have proven bountiful in Logan County. From times past when Aracoma and other Indians roamed our hills and valleys until the present day huge success of the million-to-one shot, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., there is tremendous history that involves people and places in

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