LOGAN COUNTY PEOPLE AND PLACES
Logan County is located on the Guyandotte River, and nestled in the Appalachian Mountains with an elevation of six-hundred and sixty-two feet. Logan County was once called "The Billion Dollar Coal Fields." Those days have vanished just like the coal camps where we once lived. On this page, I hope to recreate that world where we once lived with stories and pictures from the past. Dolores Riggs Davis
Garrett was a Hardshell Baptist, and was known in the hills of Logan County as "The Mountain Preacher" and "Uncle Dyke." He fought for the South beside Devil Anse Hatfield in the Civil War, and for many years tried to convert his friend. The murder of his son's Elias and Troy broke the seventy-two-year-old feud leader's heart. It was then Uncle Dyke added Hatfield to his list of converts. On a Sunday Uncle Dyke baptized Devil Anse in the waters of Main Island Creek. His sons Johnse and Cap where also baptized, and the Hatfield's stacked their guns.
Most of the Logan County citizens who joined the 36th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Co. D. under Colonel John McCausland were from Virginia, and were sympathetic to the southern cause. Colonel McCausland later became Brigadier General and the 36th Infantry were involved in at least 85 engagements in 1864 alone. Mingo County was then a part of Logan County. The unit was famous for "deeds of daring," and they were known as the "Logan County Wildcats." They enlisted in June 1861, and remained until the end of the war. The Wildcats took part in sixteen major battles. The largest unit to be organized in Logan County was the 45th Battalion in August of 1863 when 287 men enlisted. Seventeen direct descendants of Valentine Hatfield, including "Devil Anse" and his father "Big Eph," were part of that battalion. The Civil War started on April 12, 1861 and ended April 9, 1865. In the 1890 census of Logan County it listed 56 Union Veterans, so there was Union sympathizers in Logan County.
Source: The Hatfield and The McCoys by Virgil Carrington Jones. The Logan Banner files.
REPLACEMENT OF WATER STREET BRIDGE
Photograph by O. Wilson Link called Hot Shot Eastbound, Iaeger, West Virginia, August 2, 1956. Iaeger is located in McDowell County, but when I look at this picture I think of the Logan County Moniter Drive Inn Theater.
Photo taken by James LeMaster of Landville on Buffalo Creek in the 1940's. The bus driver, Joe Conley has his sign rolled to Lorado. This is truly a picture worth ten-thousand words.
LOGAN COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF
ED BALDWIN
LOGAN COUNTY'S FINEST
ROBERT BYRD CAMPAIGNING FOR OFFICE
Ray Watts (former sheriff) behind suitcase, Lester "Bus" Perry, standing behind him, (now Senator) Robert Byrd to right of Watts, man with cigar, Judge C.C. Chambers, man standing behind Chambers is (former sheriff) Grover Combs. Picture courtesy of Ed Baldwin's son, Ralph.
Logan County native, Roger Williamson is an artist who is well-known for his paintings on coalminer's hard hats. In 1982 he did a limited edition lithograph print of the old Logan CourtHouse. Roger is now working with an AB airbrush that is normally used as a photo touch-up tool to recreate a series of pictures which he calls "The Coalfield Collection." Below are two examples of his work. For further information call 304 752-0657 or write Roger Williamson P.O. box 414 Whitman, WV 25652
Roger Williamson Cyber Gallery
LYBURN MINE FIRE - 1936
