Random thoughts on Logan history and people

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By Dwight Williamson

Photo of Dwight Williamson, authorLet’s just call this week’s splattering of words as “hit or miss” Wednesday because as I sit down to write, I have not decided what to write about, and that’s not because I don’t have enough material to choose from.

Oh, well, let’s see…

How about we start with an interesting letter to The Logan Banner that was written shortly after the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. It was penned by Col. William E. Eubanks, who commanded the defense of Logan, then departed for his home at Welch in McDowell County, after things had calmed down in Logan.

“I am leaving for my home in Welch today to get back to work again, just as the rest of the ‘army’ has done, but before I go, I would like to say that in all my experience that I have just past through is one that I will never forget,” said Eubanks. “They can say a lot of things about West Virginia, some of them bad, and some of these bad things true, but there’s one thing they will have to give credit for, and that is for about a week we have had in the little city of Logan several thousand West Virginia men.

“Some of these were white, some colored, some were natives, and some were foreigners; some from the city, and some from the country districts; but throughout the whole ‘war’ there isn’t a case on record of bad conduct by any of these men toward a woman. It certainly is a record,” continued Eubanks, who noted that “these men were in and around Logan, away from home, strangers, and were waited on by the loyal ladies of Logan like the soldiers were in the World War, only better, and there isn’t a single case of real or fancied insult.

“That’s one great record, I say, and every man who was a member of the ‘army’ has every reason to be proud of that, if not for any other reason. But those Logan people — well, they are the finest men and women that I have ever been among. It’s no wonder the miners tried to get into Logan County.

“Just say to the boys who served under me that I can’t tell them how I appreciate their loyalty, their good conduct, and the way they fought. I’m in the same shape about these Logan County people.”

In conclusion, Col. Eubanks wrote, “All I can say is that they’re the best ever and I’m for ’em.”

What we know about this account is that volunteer women cooked meals at the Aracoma Hotel and likely other places for the men who had reached Logan by train to prevent what many thought was going to be the “invasion” of Logan, with typical looting, window breaking and everything else that comes with the onslaught of occupation.

My personal thoughts about the letter are (1) Geez, the men were only here for a week. And just about anybody can behave themselves for that long. (2) The other conclusion I draw is that perhaps Sheriff Don Chafin was not the “fearless leader” in the Blair Mountain battle after all.

I believe we would all agree that one of the finer places in Logan County that can be bragged about is Midelburg Island — the location, of course, of Logan Senior High School, Logan Middle School, and Logan Elementary. There also are the Logan Public Library and numerous athletics fields and facilities located at a piece of property that has a storied past that includes the murderous raid on Princess Aracoma’s small Indian village in 1790. But have you ever wondered how it received the name of Midelburg?

We must first recognize that originally there were two islands, commonly referred to as the “little” island and the “big” island. And, without delving into the long history of the place, which includes the first white settlers in the county, I will tell you that it once belonged to Elias Hatfield, the brother of William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield. Elias also was the father of Henry D. Hatfield, who would become governor of West Virginia in 1912.

Although the 43-acre tract of land was once slated to be sold for a housing development in 1938, for some reason that transaction did not occur, and in 1944 Ferdinand Midelburg, the developer of the community of Midelburg in Logan and the owner of numerous movie theaters in the county a long time ago, purchased it.

In 1951 the Midelburg Island property was sold to the Logan Civic Association, which began to build and heighten the islands into a single island by hauling slate from the nearby Gay Coal Company at Mt. Gay. The work was still going on when the Logan County Court — in what was a very controversial move — purchased the property in 1951 for $102,000.

A million-dollar bond issue had previously been passed by Logan County voters, and it was announced that three new fieldhouses would be built, one each at Chapmanville and Man, and a larger one was planned for Midelburg Island.

The Logan News reported, “The place is the logical center of recreation, and it will be converted into such a place because the people voted the county court money to improve the island and to set up facilities which have been lacking too long in Logan County.”

Parking facilities were a priority in purchasing the property, according to the newspaper report: “At the present time parking facilities are being considered and a relocation of the approaches to the boulevard to permit the moving of the cars from the island at a rate of about 400 per minute,”

Some readers, who were around when the first man landed on the moon or maybe were watching the Ed Sullivan Show when The Beatles made their first television appearance before the largest viewing crowd ever in television history should also remember that at least 100 parking spaces were available back then in the area that is now the site of Logan Middle School and the public library.

The Logan News, which at the time was a weekly rival to The Logan Banner, also reported in an editorial that “There are critics of the purchase, and we can see that they have a reason for their attitudes. It seems unfair on the surface that the Logan County Court, acting as an agent for the people of Logan County, should be asked to pick up the tab for all the mistakes made by the management of the Logan Civic Association.”

Obviously, how the public’s money is spent is vital to how history is to be written. I am reminded of President Thomas Jefferson’s decision in 1803 to buy property that was then owned by France that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. That purchase of the then mostly Indian territory doubled the size of America and included what would become 15 separate states, many west of the Mississippi River.

Just think about this. What would it have meant had the island been bought and developed into a housing development, or even something like an industrial park?

There would have been no new Logan Senior High School built there, no fieldhouse, no football or baseball field, no coach Willie Akers, and — simply put — local history would today not be the same.

Perhaps that is why shrewd eyes should be applied to all the federal COVID money that has come into Logan County and its municipalities. It must be used wisely and legally.

Speaking of history, while researching the property on Stratton Street of Logan that once was the site of Logan Senior High School before the current school was opened in 1957, I came across some information that my friend and former co-worker Kathy Guy may not know, and since I know that she reads this column weekly, this info is for her.

Kathy’s two-story brick home, which sits directly in front of what once was a part of the former Logan school that served as part of Logan Junior High School and was known as McDade Hall at the East End in Logan, is of historical interest in that it is the former home of Logan County Circuit Judge Robert Bland, who served one term until 1928.

PRIDE Community Services of Logan now utilizes the former school site behind Kathy’s home for its headquarters. It is for that wonderful nonprofit organization that I’m researching the former high school site.

In a recent article concerning softball in our area, I mentioned some names of players I would place on my all-time team. Although there are many former players who could comprise a local softball Hall of Fame, the one guy I failed to mention as a person I would want on my particular team is Dave Runyon. Dave is one of the few guys I know who I believe could play any position on the field well, in addition to being one the most dangerous power hitters to ever play in the former Whitman League.

Just as a final note, there is a lot of big news that will be coming our way soon concerning several different matters involving Logan and Logan County.

Stay tuned.

Dwight Williamson is a former writer for the Logan Banner and a retired magistrate for Logan County.

*Published with the author’s permission. First published in the Logan Banner, June 14, 2020.

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