Hey guys! We are aware now this is not the original courthouse, Leo told me this but I saw on a reputable site that it was remodeled not rebuilt, so its my fault for not believing Leo! Thanks for setting me straight, I do try to be accurate but its so hard sometimes.
Yours and Leo’s stories never fail to teach me something!! I’m from Huntington, raised there, all my family is still there and I had NO CLUE who owned the Guarantee National Bank building, who lived in it and so on! It was just always a office building on 4th Ave to us! Much less who Don was!! But, once again you and Leo have dropped more knowledge on me!! 👊
Jusr a simply awesome video Leo. The story of Don Chapin staying in politics in Logan County sounds much like the story of the family that ran and still runs a well known county in KY. Thank you for such an interesting piece of WV history. Loved the music accompaniment. Sometimes watching your videos makes me homesick. I will be coming up to my hometown sometime soon. Take care.
Couldn’t help but chuckle when you talked about the old building with a new Façade. In a world of tummy tucks and plastic surgery’s there’s quite a few folks running around with the same issue 😂
I enjoyed this video. It did send me down the rabbit hole again. Everytime I here a name ( Chafin this time ) that is in my family's tree . I look it up. Yep . There he is. When my grandparents left Logan. Any connection to our people is lost to time. Just stories. So I appreciate the two of you making our people in Logan and other areas real to me. This story isn't a happy one . But welcomed all the same. He's actually connected to us through his wife Mary . Thank you both for everything you bring to us .
What a story. Pretty scenery I love old towns & old architecture. My 8th grade teacher told the class there are only 2 things in life you have to do one is due & the other is live with the consequences of your choices Leo you are so right about making good decisions. Another great video. Leo I almost didn't recognize you without a hill or rain it or a briar patch😂. Don's house is quite the house. Too bad the shameful way he acquired it. See you next time
Great video, love the history! Ty Heather for all your hard work! Leo it's so good to see you out and about again. Love touring, and the history.. You're sense of humor and great "hillbilly" accent makes it all the better! Ty you both 😊
Before they built the fourlane, Ellis holler was a popular holler when I was growing up to ride and hang out. There was a cemetery on the hill at the mouth of Ellis holler and it was moved for the construction of the fourlane. Where they moved it to, I’m not sure of, but I’d say it was the cemetery you are talking about.
I wanted to thank y’all for the great stories I am from Jefferson County, Kentucky myself and I appreciate that you’re just folks like myself keep those good stories coming
We have towns like these here and there in NJ, but you'd have to go into Pennsylvania for a much closer resemblance. Regardless, I could live here vs. #Disturbia :p 21:50 -Lowe's, yadayada, now THAT I'm surrounded by!! 😩😩😩
Another great story guys. Does make you wonder how he got his money. And how many bodies had to pay his salary. Glad your able to get, and find enough information yo pit your stories together. Heather, young lady, you are a master of investigative talents. Leo, it is amazing how you can navigate around all these areas. You do know how to find beautiful sceneries. Really sounds like this is one person that would have been better if he had not been born. Great story again guys. God bless yall for all you do. God bless ya'll on your travels and keep ya'll safe on your travels.
@thehillbillyfiles I need to sharpen my fresh water skills. I have fished Lakes Denmark and Picatinny here in NJ from a kayak. You get some largemouth there, but not like Tournament Lunker sized ones. I'd sure love to put in here!
The second building in Huntington you mention that Chafin lived at wasn't a hotel. It had a bank on the first floor (still does, but a different one) and offices above, various coal companies and architects, etc. It's known as the Chafin building now. Used to be a plaque with the name on the building, don't know if it's still there or not. An excellent book on this is Bloodletting in Appalachia. It also mentions that Chapin bought that building for $600,000 cash. Not bad for someone who never made more that $3,000 a year as a piblic official. He built the penthouse on top where he lived with a seperate elevator for access and a guard 24/7. Pretty obvious why he would want that. These are the best history videos on RU-vid. I've been binge wathing them. Thank you for making them.
First and last times I was in Logan it was for a funeral up at Wiley-Dalton cemetery. Next time I go to Logan it will be to visit my loved one up there. It's been decades and it has hardly changed. Just looks a bit sadder. I do recall porch talk of "That rotten snake, Don Chafin." Thank you for bringing it all back.
"How does an evil person get them to follow them?" Hitler dispensed rewards to his high-ranking officers, in secret. Cash and land, all tax exempt. Mafia bosses too numerous to mention. It happened a lot! Very interesting video! Thank you!
Dons office was not in that court house the old court house was demolished this court house was built in 1964. Leo you better get it straight before Fred Hatfield calls you out LOL. You and Heather dose a grate job I enjoy all your videos. keep them coming My friend.
I know. LOL One of us can say 1968 instead of 1868, and he'll make a 20 minute video about "keeping it real"... LMAO Thank you for the kind words, btw.
@@thehillbillyfiles Yes I use to watch his videos until I see all he does is put people down He is a shit stirrer If you ask me LOL. I do love your all's videos .LOL oh yeah he pronounces William Willem He needs corrected on that because that's not the how its said lol . Take care .
Old TC LACKEY want you to know that what you are doing is showing true life history, and that I want y'all to keep doing the great work together that you are doing I will keep the two of you in my prayers.
Very interesting video. My parents always told me, that no one is totally good, or totally bad. Everyone has their good points, and everyone has their bad points. Don probably had some good points, but you probably had to look real hard for them. Interesting information about that " killing ground " I like your fishing 🎣 spot Leo, what do you fish 🐟 for, trout? Thank you very much for another fine video Leo and Heather. Have a great weekend. 😊
Logan looks so lovely! I don't really know the town. I grew up in Welch, a bit further south and east... the county seat of McDowell county. I haven't been back there in decades. I don't have any family there anymore.
I love watching these videos. I am from WV, up a holler off of Cedar Grove. The native American Indian woman you mentioned in this video made me wonder if she is the sister to a grave my mom told and shown me of a native American Indian woman that was supposed to have been a sister to a native American Indian Princess that is buried up Blue Creek in an unmarked grave? My mother said when she was young ( in the late 40s or early 50s) some news paper journalist was writing a story about her ( Indian Princess) and her sister and want to know where she was buried. They were told my grandmother, mom, and brothers knew where is was buried. But my mom's family refused to tell them because they had a feeling they would dig her up. I guess I am the only one now that knows where she is buried. But i would love to know more about her and would have asked my mom more about her
My Parents lived in a holler or community named Crites when I was born at the Logan Hospital. We moved to Beckley when I was a toddler. After the Buffalo Creek Disaster , I cannot find any thing about Crites as it was maybe washed away and never rebuilt. Can you find some information about that ? I would appreciate it as I have been living in Alabama for 36 years . I really enjoy your videos of my home State.
When i traveled and lived in the east I always had an uneasy feeling always ! But you mentioned all the battles that were fought for many reasons since the first settlers came to the states! The biggest battles and the most deaths caused by these battles would be all over the east cost ! I bet thats why I was so unsettled being all the unsettled souls still lingering in all those eastern states ! How nasty our ancestors truly were back then in the name of their own progress!!
This is not the origin court house this court house in the middle 60 We have had several court house it this is our newest if you looked on one side of the courthouse the date wil tell you it was built from the ground up
Same old excuses, " I was drinking, I can't remember, I never would have done anything like that. Blah, blah, blah." Always like your videos, giving us stories that many of us wouldn't know. You are correct, live your life so that others will remember you in a good light. Know the Lord, that is the most important part. Thank you for sharing the Scripture.
This is another great video you know you were talking about bottled spring water hate to be a party pooper but I worked for 7UP and we bottle Nicolet Spring water but the water really right out of the tap right it is tap water is hooked up to the reverse osmosis system so the next time you buy that spring water Just remember my words it really tap water. Have a great day
Just started watching your channel and very much enjoying your stories. I live in the southern tip of ohio and my roots run along route 23 in kentucky and i am a huge fan of local history. Thanks!
This happens more often than most people think it would. Where I was raised we had our Cheif of police get charged with racketeering we also had 2 sheriffs get the same charges. I won't go back home, not even to see family.
Don Chapin had a brother named Bill aka Blind Bill who lived and took his meals at my uncle's home in Kermit WV. I often wondered why his brother had so little to do with his brother
Before interstate 64 was finished & I was little.We used to travel back & forth from Northern VA back WV & we used to stip all the time at places like this & drink and eat.
Leo, Have you covered Princess Aracoma in your Files? Or plan to? :) I guess you'll always remember climbing that brush-infested place, huh? I admire how determined you are btw. About that spring...I never had problems getting a sip from a hose and I don't want to sound like the sterilized Present Day we live in. But with a steady flow like that, what are the chances of more-harmful bacteria building up? :)
Well, you know I know who this is and that house ❤ I’m kin to the Chafin, Curry, Browning and Robinson families from Logan and Mingo Counties. I sure miss my people and hope to go down next month and drive over to Williamson and down to Louisa, KY, where mommy’s family is from.
Hey, HEY!!! What was the headstone or monument back there behind that natural spring, with the American flags on either side? Inquiring minds want to know...
Leo, my Mamaw Dixie Curry Bailey had my Papaw Hudie collect spring water from the mountain for her to cook her beans in every day. He would get up and go collect the water out of the mountain pipe for 2 days.
I have a great-great grandfather who died in the Eccles, West Virginia mine disaster. But if the miners from McDowell interacted with Don Chafin, then most likely my great and great-greats were involved.
Hard to know. May not have agreed but felt they needed to keep their heads down, quiet, try not to make waves. There were no other options for work, couldn't afford to move. Rest of their coworkers were supporting the sheriff and they could not look like they were against him.
We have water spring off the road close too my home.. Over on Big Run in Boyd co Kentucky.. Made me think of ours here..Evil I don't know maybe he had so many people scared of him.. Maybe not Evil just afraid of a man who had a lot of power..we talk about this.. Someone love them some fear them and some just ride on another man coat tail..
Evil puts fear and anger in their hearts, then they are easy to control, specially living in a vacuum. Is one of the reasons those types hate outsiders, even more, outsiders with their own money.
Like Al Capone went down on far lesser charges than he should have, so did this man. Then again, no one with so much blood on their hands could be adequately punished in This life. In NJ at that time, we had Nucky Johnson(Thompson in the "Boardwalk Empire" series), actual county Administrator of Atlantic Cty. I believe his father was a sheriff, he was in cahoots with Rothstein, Capone et als, and also died wealthy after a long life. uggghhhh! *smh* If it weren't for you guys, my knowledge of your area would have ended at the Hatfields and McCoys' Feud Years , and not their ongoing presence and history! You Rule! :)
It's been years since I heard right pronounced that way. I was babysitting by niece's children. Her 2 1/2 yr old said it that way. I found it hilarious. Her daddy took her into his bedroom for a nap. Later I found poop smeared on the floor with her little fingers. He threw me out of their home while Linda was working. 9:30 PM so I couldn't tell on him.
The real question is how does a god-fearing Christian community standby and allow this to happen?? Perhaps you should referenced a bully of Skidmore... He got what was coming to him,
