By Dwight Williamson There’s a quote I recently saw from British author Virginia Woolf that says, “Nothing has really happened until it has been recorded.” If you give that quote some thought, you might agree with me in believing that history — be it on the tiniest of levels — is important to document in […]
Logan area had thriving Italian community Read More »
By Dwight Williamson With Halloween just a few days away, I thought it an appropriate time to write about the coincidence of two abandoned cemeteries. Both should be of significance in Logan County history because they contain the dusty remains of some of the most important people that ever existed in the establishment of the
Mamie Thurman and her connection to two Logan cemeteries Read More »
By Dwight Williamson It is sometimes hard for me to believe that it has been nearly 40 years since the name of Mamie Thurman started becoming almost a household name throughout the region. Since those early days of the stories of Mamie’s gruesome murder and the details of the trial of Clarence Stephenson, the accused
A letter from Ohio reveals an unlikely success story Read More »
By Dwight Williamson A look at local history reveals that Logan County has been in the national headlines numerous times for various reasons. From the Civil War burning of the Logan County Courthouse to the Hatfield-McCoy feud of the late 1800s and throughout all of the 20th century, something of national interest has always percolated
Old newspaper articles tell of Battle of Blair Mountain Read More »
By Dwight Williamson The Logan Banner did not exist when the county of Logan or the village that is now known as the town of Logan came into existence. In fact, it wasn’t until 1888 that the newspaper started being published as The Logan County Banner. The point being that there are no real written
Graveyards abounded under Logan streets Read More »
By Dwight Williams EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part two of a column on Tennis Hatfield of the famous feuding family of Logan and Mingo County and the Blue Goose saloon. The Hatfield-McCoy Feud is world renowned, but few people know about what could be termed the “Hatfield-Chafin Feud;” a bitter political feud between former business
Tennis Hatfield and the Blue Goose Saloon Read More »
By Dwight Williamson There have been countless stories and several books written in regard to Devil Anse Hatfield and the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. However, perhaps the most interesting character of this entire bunch is the youngest child of the famous Hatfield leader, his 13th born offspring, Tennis Samuel Hatfield. It was
The story of Tennis Hatfield, son of Devil Anse Read More »
By Dwight Williamson There have been countless stories and several books written in regard to Devil Anse Hatfield and the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. However, perhaps the most interesting character of this entire bunch is the youngest child of the famous Hatfield leader, his 13th-born offspring, Tennis Samuel Hatfield. It was Tennis,
Tennis Hatfield’s rise and fall is a story to remember Read More »
By Dwight Williamson “Those were the good ‘ole days.” Just about everybody has heard that phrase uttered at some point in their lives. It seems that mostly older people like to reflect upon the past as “the good old days” when in fact life was usually much simpler, but not necessarily better. As for myself,
Those were the good old days of Logan Read More »
Logan Banner, Thursday, September 5, 1985 EDITOR’S NOTE: Today The Banner concludes Its long series about the 1932 murder case of Mamie Thurman. With today’s closing article, reporter Dwight Williamson recounts some of his personal experiences and’ observances during the three weeks he has been researching the case. BY DWIGHT WILLIAMSON If there is one
Since Mamie Thurman’s Day, Has Logan Changed? Read More »