U. M. W. of A. in Logan County

by Melvin Triola Published in 1952 The United Mine Workers of America attempted to organize the Logan field in 1921.  Their organizing campaign was halted on Blair Mountain at that time by the organized effort of the coal operators in Logan County, with which everyone is familiar. After being unsuccessful in this campaign, they did

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The murderous ’30s

By Dwight Williamson Some readers may recall the story of Logan Police Chief Roy Knotts being gunned down in 1930 at the Smokehouse restaurant in Logan by Enoch Scaggs, who put five bullets into the man who was on his first day of work. Despite several eyewitnesses to the killing, the plan was for Scaggs

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Recollections of old stores and “filling” stations

By Dwight Williamson There certainly was no Walmart, but there once were many stores in Logan County, some of which even doubled as what was known as “filling stations.” On a smaller scale, I suppose one could compare those stations to today’s Speedways or 7-11 stores; the difference being a mechanic usually available. Younger folks

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Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster in Logan County, WV killed 125 people on Feb. 26, 1972

Mud, muck and misery

By Emery Jeffreys On Feb. 26, 1972 memories of death, destruction, mud, muck and misery on Buffalo Creek were seared into my brain when a wall of black water killed 125 people and left 4,000 more homeless. Monday marked the 46th anniversary. It was the first big disaster I covered when I worked at The

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Newspaper and Radio

By Clarence H. Frey Published in 1952 The City of Logan was 36 years of age when Henry Clay Ragland published his first issue of The Logan Banner. Mr. Ragland was a prolific writer and copies of his newspaper record much current news and feature poems and history of the county most of which he

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