On december 7, 1907, 250 masked night riders captured the police station and cut hopkinsville off from outside contact. Violence was only one method employed by the growers to raise the price of tobacco. Hopkinsville was our destination to check out an exhibit on psychic edgar cayce, but the town has a few other surprises. The black patch tobacco war or the great tobacco strike in southwestern kentucky and northern tennessee extended. The history of the night riders in the black patch region tells of the struggle of. Twentyfive or thirty partly masked men went to the home of r. Duke tobacco conglomerate american tobacco company. The price a farmer could command for his staple crops declined, for no. The association soon developed into a group of armed and hooded night riders whose actions went from boycotting to violence. During the first part of the 1900s, problems over the price of tobacco turned to violence in the northern part of tennessee.
The black patch tobacco wars was a period of violence in the dark tobacco region of western kentucky and tennessee at the turn of the 20th century circa 19041909 the black patch, as it is called, is made up of about 30 counties in southwestern kentucky and northwestern tennessee and the leading worldwide supplier of dark fired tobacco. The night riders were known to be an efficient association. Black patch wars, night riders topics at trigg bicentennial. The headline event will be the night rider tobacco raid reenactment on saturday night at 7. The black patch tobacco wars were a period of civil unrest and violence in the western counties of the u.
Every year, museums of historic hopkinsville christian county partners with. Planters protective association in opposition to the night rider movement. The night riders achieved their success through violence and illegal, vigilante actions. The socalled black patch consists of about 30 counties in southwestern kentucky and northwestern tennessee. The kentucky towns of princeton, hopkinsville, and russellville suffered this fate. The black patch tobacco wars and the night riders in the early years of the twentieth century, tobacco planters formed a protectionist dark tobacco district planters protective association of kentucky and tennessee. Hubbard with all the recent legislation that aims to prohibit the use of tobacco among adult consumers, we often forget about the people caught in the middle. The night riders, as they came to be called, were regarded as heroes by the farmers they helped, but they were also known for violence in their fight against the changing tobacco industry. Turner, judge bill cunningham, and rick gregory, and the trial of the night riders. The home was situated on a knoll with a view of the beautiful 1,200acre farm known as gum grove.
Negro exodus hopkinsville, ky notable kentucky african. War in the black patch 1906 1911 night riders during the period between 1900 and 1906 trouble began to brew among the tobacco men of the state, especially in the black patch are. The black patch turns violent amoss, who was clearly a force behind the possum hunters, had been a cadet and drill master at major ferrells military school in hopkinsville, ky used his military background to began training his groups in a military fashion. By this time, dark tobacco had become primarily an export crop. The black patch war constituted one of the most serious domestic threats to civil government in twentiethcentury america. Amoss organized the night riders not to be confused with the ku klux klan to terrorize farmers into submission. Collectively, these acts of violence became known as the black patch war. Waldrep after the civil war, big business emerged as a powerful challenge to the pride and authority of rural america. With societal pressure seeming to fail, the silent brigade probably under dr. The night riders were organized into a secret fraternal society known as the. The black patch war began in 1904 in the western regions of kentucky and tennessee.
The fabulous service is a big advantage of this steakhouse. Oversimplified, the night riders grew out of the black patch tobacco wars, which took. Its nice to taste delicious beer, bourbon or marsala. Jul 25, 2017 i will include a you tube video explaining most of the black patch wars by local historian rick gregory towards the bottom of the post for those who wish to listen about the black patch instead of reading. The planters protective association of kentucky and tennessee had organized to gain more power as growers against the james b. Yet when world war i commenced and major foreign shipping lanes suddenly closed, the growers of the black patch had no markets left to which to. In the same museum, there was a display about the night riders an excitable local organization from the early 1900s. A 2008 population estimate puts the city at 32,076. The history of lyon county kentucky part 4 in the first decade of 1900, lyon county was a principal participant in the black patch war or night rider movement. Invite your friends to this spot with a romantic atmosphere. The night riders set forth once again, raiding russellville, kentucky, on 3 january 1908.
Defending community in the black patch lacks important details of the black patch war. Jackson had been a hopkinsville attorney before the war and was. He gained the help of former night riders, including macon champion, who implicated fifteen other local farmers. Oversimplified, the night riders grew out of the black patch tobacco wars, which took place in the western part of kentucky from 1904 through 1911 or so, and quickly spread to the burley belt. These men became known in the press as the night riders and their campaigns grew in. This daylong series of events commemorates a period of agricultural crisis, economic boycott, and vigilante rebellion that affected every aspect of life in the region. It was the longest and most violent conflict between the end of the civil war and the civil rights struggles of the mid 1960s. Yet when world war i commenced and major foreign shipping lanes suddenly closed, the growers of the black patch had no markets left to which to ship their goods. The black patch tobacco war ended in 1908 when the american tobacco company agreed to the associations demands. A skirmish between union and confederate forces took place in the field across from western state hospital near the end of the war. Sep 23, 2014 the black patch tobacco war of western kentucky the good lord never got any thousand or so men together for any purpose without a liberal assortment of sons of bitches thrown in.
The black patch or dark fired tobacco area included counties in southwestern kentucky and adjoining districts in tennessee. Black patch war a current events news and politics. The night riders was the name given by the press to the militant faction of tobacco farmers. Since this region was known for growing darkfired tobacco, it was called the black patch war. Farmers in western kentucky and in tennessee fought back against the rule of the company. Their largest raid of this type was their occupation and attack on areas of hopkinsville, kentucky, in 1907. One association warehouse in hopkinsville was accidentally burned in the confusion. This year, we are presenting an extended version of the hayride. In its 33rd year, this hayride traces the route that night riders took when they invaded hopkinsville to burn tobacco warehouses on december 7, 1907.
On december 7, 1907, 250 masked night riders seized hopkinsville s police. In the early years of the twentieth century, tobacco planters formed a protectionist dark tobacco district planters protective association of kentucky and tennessee. James duke of north carolina had gained a monopoly on dark fired tobacco and was literally stealing the tobacco from area farmers for one, two and three cents per pound. Black patch tobacco wars wikipedia republished wiki 2. In 1907 and 1908, a vigilante group known as the night riders terrorized the black patch 30county region of western kentucky and tennessee, where dark fired tobacco was produced. These later became known as the black patch tobacco wars. Read download violence in the black patch of kentucky and. Come face to face with masked vigilantes of the black patch tobacco war at the. Railroads redefined towns and towns redefined morality. The silent brigade did not participate in the burley tobacco conflict, but the burley tobacco guerrillas were also known as night riders.
The black patch war, like much human conflict, was rooted in economics, specifically. The night riders and the killing of axiom cooper by christopher r. The black patch tobacco war or the great tobacco strike in southwestern kentucky and northern tennessee extended from 1904 to 1909. Kentucky agriculture and the black patch hopkinsville. The black patch tobacco war dated from 1904 to 1909. War in the black patch 1906 1911 night riders during the period between 1900 and 1906 trouble began to brew among the tobacco men of the state, especially in the black patch area around hopkinsville. Originally known as the silent brigade, the night riders were a vigilante force opposed to the american tobacco company. This hayride reenacts the night of december 7, 1907 when an army of night riders attacked and burned tobacco warehouses in downtown hopkinsville. These masked riders initiated what were called the black patch wars because of the unfair price ceilings being generated by the duke tobacco conglomerate. On december 7, 1907, 250 masked night riders seized hopkinsville s police station and cut all outside contact.
The arrests broke the power of the night riders and effectively ended the black patch war. To burn or otherwise destroy the property of growers and to whip them and others who refuse to cooperate with you in winning your fight against the trust is more than they deserve. Masked riders also burned trustcontrolled tobacco warehouses including several in hopkinsville. They were getting tobacco at ridiculously low prices and the farmers were unable to make a living. Gum grove farm destroyed by night riders in black patch war. Amoss had been a cadet and drillmaster at major ferrells military school in hopkinsville, ky, and he used his military background to begin training his groups in a military fashion. The american tobacco company developed a tobacco trust, or monopoly, and paid farmers less and less for their crop. Hollowell was wounded when one shot penetrated her cheek bone. With all the recent legislation that aims to prohibit the use of tobacco among adult consumers, we often forget about the people caught in the middle. For the first time in hopkinsville, three of the foremost authorities on the black patch region come together for a discussion about the tobacco war that plagued this area. The night riders, robert penn warren november 30, 1906. Hollowell, between hopson and lamasco between one and two o clock in the morning, shots were tired into the home. Understanding the black patch tobacco war of west kentucky and. In 1908, during the black patch war, the residence and all the structures on the cardin farm were destroyed by fire.
David amoss, a medical doctor from the cobb community in caldwell county, kentucky. The black patch war was a result of a monopoly of a tobacco rebel coompany in the early 1900s. Entire towns were captured, there were hangings and killings, and tobacco warehouses were burned. Most of the violence was centered in the black patch dark fired tobacco area of western kentucky and tennessee. The black patch tobacco war of western kentucky the good lord never got any thousand or so men together for any purpose without a liberal assortment of sons of bitches thrown in. The dark patch tobacco war or the great tobacco strike in southwestern kentucky and northwestern tennessee from 19041909 was the longest and most violent conflict from the end of the civil war to the conflicts of the mid 1960s. The armed and hooded vigilantes who participated in these violent acts became known as the tobacco night riders. Exhibits include the night riders of the black patch. Its a fascinating piece of american history the tobacco farmer versus the american tobacco company, which is becoming a. Historic hopkinsvillechristian county offer the 3rd annual tobacco war. Sep 24, 2016 the museums of historic hopkinsville christian county announces the 5 th annual tobacco war pilgrimage to be held on saturday, september 24, 2016. Hopkinsville is a city in christian county, kentucky, united states.
Black patch tobacco wars wikimili, the free encyclopedia. As usual, the task of making sense of history fell to a poet in this case, vanderbilt agrarian robert penn warren. Gum grove farm destroyed by night riders in black patch. Secret nighttime meetings were held throughout the black patch, with the night riders underlying purpose delivered by amoss in firmly jacobin terminology. Former night rider milton oliver on his tobacco patch. But despite this fierce upheaval, the black patch community endured. In the small town of hopkinsville, ky, my home community, a group of farmers started a rebel group called the association, later renamed the night riders. Tobacco war pilgrimage set for september 24th hopkinsville. The black patch war of the early 20th century was instigated by extremely depressed prices for tobacco crops, most notably the dark tobacco area of western kentucky and western tennessee, and was directed by one of the historically largest industrial u. Hollowell, between hopson and lamasco between one and. This area was known as the black patch because it produced so much darkfired tobacco, which was used primarily in the production of snuff and chewing tobacco.
In 1908, the association exerted its peak of control, having gained nearly complete control of the dark leaf tobacco crop. The most thorough treatment ever given to the black patch war, night riders illuminates a moment in history in which the traditional and the modern, the rural and the industrial, fought for the futureand pastof a community. Wilburn arrested several night rider leaders, and provided protection to several key informers. In 1908, during the black patch war, the residence and all the structures on the cardin farm were destroyed by. Its a fascinating piece of american history the tobacco farmer versus the american tobacco company, which is becoming a monopoly in the world of tobacco. Also known as the silent brigade, it was comprised of. A struggled called the black patch war began and lasted nearly until the. This is a history of the night rider movement an outgrowth of the black patch tobacco wars in western kentucky from 1905 to 1912 ot so. Prices for tobacco had been down since the late 1890s.
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