Jackson County Story Archives - Page 2 of 3 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

February 5, 1942: Lawman Dan Cunningham Dies at 92

Dan Cunningham died on February 5, 1942, at age 92. The legendary lawman was involved in some of the most violent and eventful moments in West Virginia history—sometimes finding himself on both sides of the legal system.

In the late 1800s, Cunningham was charged with murder related to the Bruen lands feud in Jackson and Roane counties. The feud stemmed from outside landownership and long-simmering Civil War resentments. After his brother, a U.S. marshal, was murdered during the feud, Cunningham was charged with killing the Rev. Tom Ryan, a member of the opposing faction. Cunningham was acquitted in his native Jackson County.

He played a part in the Hatfield-McCoy Feud, both arresting—and being captured by—feudists on either side of the conflict. In the violent 1902 coal-mining strike, Cunningham was involved in some spectacular gun battles, including the Battle of Stanaford, in which six union sympathizers were killed. Labor leader Mother Jones insultingly referred to Cunningham as the ‘‘big elephant.’’

Dan Cunningham also had a sixth sense for sniffing out moonshine stills, making him an enemy of every bootlegger in the hollows of southern West Virginia.

July 19, 1863: Morgan's Raiding Ends at Buffington Island

On July 19, 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s daring raid across Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio came to an end on Buffington Island, located in the Ohio River near Ravenswood in Jackson County.

Morgan’s raid was the only time a large Southern force entered Indiana or Ohio during the Civil War. His 2,400 raiders led local militias and growing numbers of Union troops on a wild chase across three states.

During his retreat, Morgan chose an Ohio River crossing known as Buffington’s Ford. On July 19—overtaken by federal troops, including the 13^th West Virginia Infantry, local militia, and three U.S. Navy gunboats—Morgan turned and fought his pursuers on the Ohio mainland adjacent to the island. The battle scattered Morgan’s forces and spilled over onto Buffington Island when a number of his men crossed above the island to swim to the Jackson County shore. Many drowned, but some, with the aid of Confederate supporters in West Virginia, made it back to Southern lines.

The Battle of Buffington Island was the only significant naval action to occur in West Virginia waters during the Civil War.

December 16, 1897 : Last Public Hanging in West Virginia

On December 16, 1897, John F. Morgan was hanged in Ripley for the murder of Chloe Greene and two of her sons. It was the last public execution in West Virginia history.

Some 5,000 spectators poured into the Jackson County seat. Many were drunk, and some even sold souvenirs. The rowdy scene prompted West Virginia lawmakers to take action.

A little more than a year later, Governor George W. Atkinson signed a law that banned public executions, making West Virginia was one of the first states to do so. As an alternative, over the next 60 years, 94 men would be executed inside the walls of the state penitentiary in Moundsville.

By the mid-20^th century, public opinion about the death penalty was shifting. A number of states had already banned the practice. In 1965, the legislature passed and Governor Hulett Smith signed a bill ending capital punishment in West Virginia. Today, West Virginia is one of only 18 states that does not impose death sentences.

Pres. G.W. Bush Visits Ripley 4th of July: July 4, 2002

On July 4, 2002, President George W. Bush delivered a 45-minute “salute to veterans” at Ripley’s annual Fourth of July ceremonies.

It was the first Independence Day following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The president used the opportunity to comment on the nation’s War on Terrorism, praised the effort of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and reassured the crowd about homeland security.

The president chose to speak in Ripley because its Independence Day celebration symbolizes the patriotism of small-town America so perfectly. The Jackson County seat claims to have the “Biggest Small Town” Fourth of July event in the nation and the oldest in West Virginia, dating back to the late 1800s. Old photos of the event show patriotic citizens decked out in their Sunday best, peering out of windows and standing on roofs to get a glimpse of the parade. By the late 1960s, the festivities were so well-known that the NBC Today Show broadcast live from Ripley on July 4.

Today, Ripley’s Fourth of July activities include live music, a grand parade, a two-mile race, a beauty pageant, a carnival, and fireworks.

Deadline Approaching for West Virginia Flood Unemployment

West Virginians who are out of work due to recent deadly floods are facing a deadline to apply for unemployment benefits.

The deadline to file a claim for employees or residents of Kanawha, Greenbrier and Nicholas counties is Wednesday.

Those in Clay, Fayette, Monroe, Roane, Summers, Pocahontas and Webster counties have until Friday.

People who live or work in Jackson and Lincoln counties have until Aug. 4.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance offers benefits for people who are ineligible under the state’s regular unemployment insurance. Farmers, self-employed people and others may be eligible for the Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

Bus Carrying Gregg Allman Crew Crashes, 3 Hurt

A tour spokesman for Gregg Allman’s band says three crew members have been injured when a bus went off Interstate 77 in West Virginia.

Spokesman Ken Weinstein says the crew members were treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released Wednesday. He says the 68-year-old singer wasn’t on the bus.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had no immediate information on the accident. Media outlets report the southbound bus went into the northbound lanes, through a guardrail and over an embankment before stopping against a tree next to a creek near Goldtown at about 5 a.m.

The bus was headed to a concert Wednesday at the Clay Center in Charleston, about 20 miles south of Goldtown. Clay Center spokeswoman LeAnn Cain said the concert is still on.