Uncommon History -Dark Days in the Ohio Valley: Three Western Kentucky Lynchings, 1884-1911

Uncommon History

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Uncommon History

We discover little-known facts about uncommon history.

History is full of curious characters and interesting stories you will never discover in textbooks. We discover fun facts about historical events, interesting places, famous people, and everything in between.

Dark Days in the Ohio Valley

Journey back to Progressive-Era western Kentucky and witness three tragic tales of racial violence that occurred in the adjacent counties of Daviess, Hancock and McLean.

OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY - July 13, 1884: Without warning, the Ohio River ferry bell pierced the humid, pitch-black midnight air. Just then, several gangs of masked men on horseback galloped into town, converging upon Daviess County's courthouse square from all directions and intent upon seizing Dick May. As the armed, shadowy figures dismounted and approached, Jailer William Lucas loaded his shotgun, determined not to surrender his prisoner nor see his community abandon the rule of law....

HAWESVILLE, KENTUCKY - September 26, 1897: As the late Sunday afternoon sun sank behind Lover's Leap ridge, more than 500 men, women and children crowded the downtown streets and surrounding hillsides. A chaotic scene soon erupted, as angry townspeople overwhelmed the tiny Hancock County jail to retrieve Raymond Bushrod and drag him across the street to the courthouse lawn. There, at the foot of a mighty poplar tree, the trembling, condemned man was asked to confess to his alleged crime....

LIVERMORE, KENTUCKY - April 20, 1911: As night fell across Green River country, the mob assembled in front of the modest riverfront opera house became increasingly agitated. Sometime around 7:30, they surged against the building's doors to reach Will Potter, who had been hidden there by local police. The doors flung open and flooded the darkened theater with moonlight from the street. The morbid melodrama that would be staged next would soon capture the imagination--and conscience--of citizens across America and beyond....

While lynchings of African Americans in the Bluegrass State during this time period sadly were not uncommon--historian George Wright counts some 135--unique details make each of these cases distinctive. Brought to life through eyewitness accounts and contemporary documents, each narrative is examined in light of public sentiment, media treatment, and legal proceedings (if any). These local stories are framed within the broader context of the United States' slow, unsteady march toward equal justice.

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