My friends - I had indicated yesterday that we would move over to Graves County for our post today, but I have had enough inquiries concerning the Night Riders and their activities that I have decided to devote today's posting to a brief discussion of that unfortunate episode in the history of Calloway and Marshall counties in the JP region(and there were other counties who also suffered at the hands of these people, Trigg in particular, and there was some activity in Henry Co., TN, as well). The 1908-1909 time frame was the period of the greatest activity of these Night Riders(so called because they inflicted their damage in the darkness of the night). In those years, fear was rampant in the areas in which the Night Riders appeared. These Night Riders groups were a lawless by-product of the Planters' Protective Association, which was a group that grew to perhaps 15,000 dark-fired tobacco growers in the JP, TN and other parts of western KY. The original premise of the Association was that the major tobacco companies - particularly the American Tobacco Company - were in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The Association felt that "price-fixing" was the result of this monopolistic conspiracy, and, as a result, this union of tobacco growers - the Planters' Protective Association - gradually gained favor among such farmers. There are many other facets - political, social and economical - involved in the rise of emotions prior to the start of the lawlessness - too much to be covered in this brief posting. By 1908, feelings had become so polarized on this issue that tobacco farmers were expected to be a member of the Association. If they did not join, or spoke out against the Association, they could expect a visit from the Night Riders at any time. They sometimes sent notes to the farmers in advance, warning them that they had better do as they were told, or their houses and barns were at risk. The first act of violence in Calloway County was reported to be the burning of the barn of Brandon Hurt in February of 1908. Sometimes, a large group of Night Riders would visit farmers and ask them, in a polite manner, to join the Association. If that did not happen, however, the politeness stopped. After a period of attacks by Night Riders against non-Association farmers, these farmers began to warn of revenge. There was the specter of farmer against farmer in many cases. It was a bad and dangerous situation that bred fear, anger and mistrust. In some cases, Night Riders forced farmers, on the threat of death or destruction of their property, to get down on their knees and take an oath to join the Association. The ultimate end of the reign of fear occurred as a result of the failure of the Association to establish and maintain its financial base, and the increased law enforcement activities of the State and county. There was always two sides to the question of whether the Association and the Night Riders were one and the same or whether there were actually two distinct and separate entities, with the Association having no influence over the activities of these "rogue" gangs of Night Riders. A number of people were forced off their farms as a result of the fear associated with the Night Riders. My grandfather operated a small farm outside Murray in 1907, and, when the Night Rider activities began to occur, and since he was not an "Association man", he elected to sell the farm and move to Murray. He had been thinking of doing so for over a year, and the prospect of violence coming onto his property was enough to cause him to make the decision to sell. It was a difficult time in the history of Calloway County, and those other counties affected by this violence. Tomorrow, we will move to Graves County. -B ===================================================================