Don Chafin and the Battle of Blair Mountain

By Dwight Williamson

Imagine this: It is a hot sultry day in late August of 1921 in bustling downtown Logan as you await the afternoon edition of the only real source of local news for Logan County -The Logan Banner. Paperboys with their canvas bags strapped across their shoulders full of newspapers fresh off the press are hurriedly heading down the streets of Logan delivering the news to each and every business, of which there were many at that coal booming time in our local history. Every apartment building, all of the restaurants, each of the many hotels, and even the numerous pool halls of the growing city all received the daily newspaper. It was the equivalent of today’s television, radio and internet networks all combined into a few pages of reliable news print.

With the headlines saying that Logan County was to be invaded by thousands of approaching armed miners, the frightful word on the streets was that businesses would be destroyed, Sheriff Don Chafin killed, and Logan ransacked as the “red-necks” trampled through Logan on their way to “bloody” Mingo County in an effort to organize coal miners into the U.M.W.A., and to rescue Mingo County union miners who had been jailed and mistreated in their efforts to recruit employees into their union. The only thing stopping this unlawful invasion, in most people’s minds, was the Herculean efforts of Sheriff Chafin and his band of thousands of men; several armed with machine guns, gas bombs and a few company supplied airplanes, used first for surveillance, and then later to drop bombs on the miners.

While most coal mining operations throughout southern West Virginia had long paid the Baldwin-Felts detectives to keep the union from organizing its employees, Sheriff Don Chafin and his army of deputy forces were paid handsomely by coal operators to do the same thing. In 1919 the Logan County Coal Operators’ Association was paying $32,700 annually to Don Chafin for police protection, and he wasn’t even the sheriff at the time. Chafin’s brother-in-law, Frank Hurst, had become sheriff in 1916 after Chafin had served at the position for the previous four years. At the time, a sheriff could not serve back-to-back terms. Chafin, however, would be re-elected again in 1920. In that same year he would purchase from Hurst the Main Street home now known as the Chafin House in Logan.

The Chafin House, which is receiving a new roof that most certainly will save the structure from total ruin, is just one of 1,000 places in West Virginia that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. How ironic it is that Blair Mountain once was also listed on the Register. In 2006, the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated Blair Mountain as one of the country’s “Most Endangered Places” and it was added to the National Register in 2009. Nine months later, however, the park service reversed its decision following a dispute over property ownership. The Chafin House, the Hatfield Cemetery and the coal fired locomotive that claims Chief Logan State Park as its official home are the only other National Register listings in Logan County.

Don Chafin and the Battle of Blair Mountain are two tremendous aspects of historical significance, which justify why the house where he lived during the 1921 battle must be preserved for posterity’s sake, despite the fact that since the former Logan Woman’s Club Library ceased to operate as such, the once beautiful house has been all but abandoned by all those persons who should have taken actions to preserve the place.

Without going into detail about the Battle of Blair Mountain – in which one source says 47 men were killed and more than 100 others injured, – one must consider the national significance of the battle in military history as it was the country’s largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. Additionally, the battle was of both national and statewide significance in the area of Labor history, as it marked the height of the greatest frustration and desperation for the members of the United Mine Workers Association. Chafin and the battle are also politically significant because of state and federal forces joining Chafin’s political hordes in resisting the miners’ efforts at Blair Mountain. State, local and national headlines were dominated by the battle throughout its duration, and at its conclusion, many people saw Chafin as the “savior” of the city of Logan.

The September 2, 1921, edition of the local newspaper pretty much displays the seriousness of Sheriff Chafin’s Blair Mountain battle. Here’s part of the report: “Three known dead of the Logan County forces up to noon Friday are named as John Gore, John Cofagn and Jim Munsie. Gore was shot through the head after instructing his men not to fire on an advancing party which he thought were forces from Logan, but proved to be from the “red neck’s” line and in the battle that ensued, Gore was shot.”

The Banner reported that Justice of the Peace Fulton Mitchell, his brother (Lucian Mitchell), Les Stanley and Howard Young were all captured by the opposing forces. The report noted that “It is impossible to learn the number of miners killed but is estimated at over fifty, while the number now in jail in Logan is said to exceed fifty, besides a number of suspects named as spies who have been placed in jail.” Several suspects were killed while allegedly trying to escape.

“The fighting on all sectors was at its worst Thursday afternoon,” The Banner reported on Sept. 2nd. Two men from the Logan forces were wounded, “while many miners are known to have been killed in this spurt to capture Logan City.”

The military and volunteers from neighboring counties were said to have “nobly responded” as every day special trains from other counties were bringing in more reinforcements to Logan. In addition, the newspaper reported that the women of Logan had started work at the Aracoma Hotel preparing meals and that the large lobby was turned into a food supply station with hot food on the tables “24 hours per day for the men coming and going.”

Several times a day large truck loads of food and clothing were sent out from the hotel to the various sectors of the battlefields, according to the Banner story, which quoted “fighters” as saying “Logan can feed better than Uncle Sam” because there is no rationing of cigars, cigarettes, bananas, oranges, etc. It was also noted in the same story that despite all of the military activities and the sudden break of civilians into warriors in Logan, only two people were injured from accidents; one occurring when a man’s gun discharged while he was cleaning it, while another man, Bob Greevey, received injuries from an exploding gas bomb he had in his possession.

This brief history certainly should be enough to explain why the Chafin House must be saved at all costs. However, Don Chafin – who was shot twice on separate occasions; spent time in prison for his involvement in violating Prohibition laws; feuded with two of Devil Anse Hatfield’s sons; was arrested by Sheriff Joe Hatfield for possessing liquor; was a friend and body guard of world champion boxer Jack Dempsey; held political positions as Logan County Assessor, County Clerk, and Sheriff twice, -quiet simply was the most powerful man that ever existed in Logan County. Under the guise of maintaining law and order, Chafin’s mandate was to immunize the Logan coal field from the organizing efforts of the U.M.W.A. And, with an everyday force of over 50 deputies, Chafin stationed deputies at every mine site and on trains coming in and out of Logan. He was considered the King of Logan County: worshipped by many and hated by others.

In a 12-page report prepared March 21, 2015 by Anna Lynn Stastick, a representative of the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, a needs assessment was done and there were many suggestions for stabilization and rehabilitation of the Chafin House and there were amazing findings noted in the report.

Among the findings relevant to saving the house was, of course, replacing the roof, guttering and the downspouts. Although the house was declared “structurally safe,” the report noted on the right side of the house above the electric service entrance, there is dangerous wiring that needs to be either be removed or at least disconnected at the power source immediately. Stastick wrote, “Not only has electrical cable intended for interior use been employed for lighting purposes, but there is a dangerous connection at a second floor window air conditioner. This must be addressed as soon as possible.”

Ventilation, mothballing, checks for asbestos, lead paint, removal of all carpet, and a total of 19 suggestions are listed in the report which was provided to Shirley Baisden, President of the Logan Woman’s Club, in 2015.

The surprising element of the report is the following: “All books should be removed from the shelves, boxed, and removed to space off site controlled for temperature and humidity. The reason is that paper products stored in environments, such as the Chafin House presently exhibits, are breeding grounds for various types of mold, mildew, vermin, and insects, including the Silverfish. Cellulose materials and the glues that bind them are ideal feeding grounds for such pests.”

When the property was deeded to the Logan Woman’s Club in 1949, it was done so upon “the express condition that the property be used exclusively for library purposes” and it specifically states that if the library ceased to exist then the “owner” could petition a circuit judge to declare the same and sell it and the proceeds from such sale be used for “other literary, charitable, scientific or educational purposes.”

Now, with the report suggesting that even the books must be removed, it makes it even more clear that The Logan Woman’s Club Library, which really has not existed for about 20 years or more, is non-functional. And, despite what a county electrical inspector previously said, the house IS A FIRE HAZARD, and it is not known if there is any type of insurance on the historic structure.

In an e-mail to this writer, Ms. Stastick said that, as a rule, whenever any substantial work that is undertaken on a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, “a meaningful discussion should be undertaken with the State Historic Preservation Office in Charleston’ before work begins.”

Although this was not done in regards to the partial painting or the roofing of the Chafin House, the most important and good news is that Jeffrey Smith, Structural Historian for the WV State Historic Preservation Office in Charleston, recently informed me that the recent repairs to the house will not cause it to be removed from the Historic Register. Smith said any changes made to the structure should be “sympathetic to the original-defining features of The Chafin House,” but that unless federal or state funds are being used his office is only available for assistance in making changes.

So, the great news is, although there were many recommendations for improvements to the place, Club President Baisden and members of The Logan Woman’s Club, as well as the anonymous donor who provided the funds for “Vance’s Enterprises” to replace the roof, should be extremely proud.

After all, together you have just made history – simply by saving history. And many of us are thankful for that.

Dwight Williamson is a former staff writer for the Logan Banner. He now serves as a magistrate for Logan County.

*Published with the author’s permission.
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Articles by Dwight Williamson on this site.

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• The man responsible for the creation of Mingo County
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