Rowan County War facts for kids
The Rowan County War was a big conflict that happened in Rowan County, Kentucky, especially around Morehead, Kentucky. It was a long-running fight, or "feud," that lasted from 1884 to 1887. During this time, 20 people sadly lost their lives, and 16 others were hurt.
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How the Conflict Began
The Rowan County War actually started from an older conflict called the Underwood-Holbrook feud. A man named John Martin was involved with the Underwood side. He used to work for the county and owned a store in Morehead.
John Martin faced financial difficulties and also lost his job as a county clerk. After this, he rented land from George Underwood, which led him to support the Underwoods in their feud.
After the older feud ended, John Martin began a business making alcohol without permission. He was a Republican, which meant he had different political views from Floyd Tolliver, who was a Democrat. Floyd Tolliver had also been part of the Underwood group.
In August 1884, on election day, a misunderstanding happened between them. Floyd Tolliver hurt John Martin and sadly killed Solomon Bradley, who was a friend of Martin's. Later that year, in December 1884, before their court case, Tolliver and Martin met again. John Martin shot and killed Floyd Tolliver. Tolliver's last words were a plea to his friends:
Remember what you swore to do; you said you would kill him; Keep your word.
The War Escalates
After Floyd Tolliver's death, John Martin was put in jail. He was moved to the Clark County jail in Winchester, Kentucky, because people worried about his safety. This made Craig Tolliver, Floyd's brother, very angry. He then killed two cousins of D.B. Logan, who was a friend of John Martin. Soon, people who supported the Tolliver family gained control of the county.
John Martin was eventually killed. Supporters of the Tolliver family tricked officials into moving Martin back to Morehead. They shot him after he got on the train. Martin's wife was on the same train in another car. She felt a terrible feeling when she heard the shots. When she rushed to see what happened, she found her husband dying. John Martin lived long enough to return to Morehead. He walked to the Powers Hotel, where he died the next day.
After Martin's death, people quickly chose sides. Families who were Democrats supported Craig Tolliver. Families who were Republicans supported John Martin's family.
Craig Tolliver's Control
Craig Tolliver became the town marshal of Morehead. He took control of the town by using fear. The sheriff of Rowan County, Cook Humphrey, was a Republican and sided with Dr. Ben Martin, John Martin's father. By July 1885, almost everyone in the county had chosen a side in this new conflict.
The violence continued for three years. It finally ended in the summer of 1887. A group led by Hiram and Logan Pigman surrounded Craig Tolliver and shot him. Three other people died in a final two-hour gunfight that involved about sixty men.
What Happened After the War
The state military, including a famous group called the Louisville Legion, was called in three times to stop the fighting. At one point, a state report even suggested that Rowan County should be completely shut down because of all the violence.
After a state investigation, the people of Morehead felt very ashamed of their town's reputation. To try and make things better, they decided to create the Morehead Normal School in 1887. This school later closed in 1922 when the Kentucky General Assembly started Morehead State University. The story of this conflict is even told in a folk song called "The Rowan County Crew" or "The Rowan County Feud."
A peaceful ending between the Martin and Tolliver families happened in 1889. Grace Martin, who was the daughter of Gils Martin, married Frank Tolliver, who was Craig Tolliver's brother. This marriage helped bring the families together.
