Tucker County Seat War facts for kids
The Tucker County Seat War was a big disagreement in 1893. It happened in Tucker County, West Virginia. Two towns, Parsons and St. George, were fighting. They both wanted to be the main town, called the county seat. The county seat is where the local government offices and courts are located.
Contents
History of the County Seat War
How Tucker County Started
Tucker County was created in 1856. It was formed from parts of Randolph County. When the county was made, a law said the county seat should be in a town called Westernford. This town was first settled in 1776. Its name was changed to "St. George." This new name honored Henry St. George Tucker, Sr., a local judge and politician.
St. George Faces Challenges
In 1888, a fire destroyed most of St. George. Because of this, a new railway line was built far away. This railway, called the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway, went to Leadsville (now Elkins, West Virginia). It did not go through or near St. George.
This railway helped a new town grow. This town was Parsons. It was built on land owned by Ward Parsons. He hired an engineer to plan the town. Parsons was a lumber town, meaning it grew because of the timber industry.
Parsons Tries to Become County Seat
In 1888 and 1889, Ward Parsons led a group. They wanted to ask the local court to hold an election. The goal was to move the county seat to Parsons. An election happened in 1890. But the change was not approved. It needed 60% of the votes, but it did not get enough.
Parsons tried again in 1892. The results were the same. The town still did not get enough votes. However, their next try in 1893 was successful. One election was declared invalid because of a legal problem. But a second election received the needed votes for Parsons to win.
The Dispute and the March
Some leaders in St. George thought the second election was unfair. They asked the county court to cancel the results. But the court said no. St. George then asked the state government for help. They wanted an investigation to stop the move.
Before the state could act, the people of Parsons got upset. They were annoyed by the attempt to stop the election results. So, on August 7, 1893, they marched to St. George. Their plan was to take the court's records. This would force the county seat to move to Parsons.
Reports about the group's size vary. Some say there were 200 armed men. Others say over a thousand, with 700 from Parsons and 400 from along the railway line.
Records Are Moved by Force
A group of St. George citizens gathered to stop the Parsons group. But the Sheriff ordered them to leave. He was worried about violence and injuries. By the time the Parsons group arrived, few people were left to stop them.
The Parsons group broke into the courthouse. They took the county records. They also took the bell from the building's tower. They stayed overnight at a nearby farm. The next day, they returned to Parsons. They set up a temporary courthouse in an unopened store building. This building was used as the Tucker County Court until a new courthouse was built in 1900.
St. George never became as important as it was before. It is now a small, unincorporated community.
