The origin of the Rowan County War, also known as the Martin-Tolliver Feud, can be traced back to the controversial election of Thomas F. Hargis as circuit judge in 1874 and the Underwood-Holbrook Feud which occurred from 1877 to 1879. The conflict between the Martins and Tollivers began in August of 1884 during a tightly contested race for Rowan County sheriff. What ensued was a series of brutal murders, deadly gun battles and three years of lawlessness in the county. The feud ended in June 22, 1887 when the Tollivers were surrounded at a hotel and tavern in Morehead by a posse of over one hundred men led by Boone Logan. After the gunfight, most of the members of the Tolliver faction were killed and peace was eventually restored to the county.
Submissions from 1885
In Rowing Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 4, 1885)
The Governor orders Troops to Morehead , Frankfort Roundabout (July 4, 1885)
The Rowan County War: Two Factions Thirsting for each other's Blood , New York Times (July 6, 1885)
All Quiet in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 7, 1885)
Morehead, Ky., July 3 , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (July 7, 1885)
All Quiet in Rowan , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 8, 1885)
Rowing Rowan , Hazel Green Herald (July 8, 1885)
Feudalism in Kentucky , New York Times (July 8, 1885)
From the Seat of War , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 8, 1885)
The War in Rowan , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (July 10, 1885)
Court in Rowan: Craig Tolliver et. al., on Trial, Charged with Murder , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 10, 1885)
The Kentucky Vendetta: How the Feud in Rowan County Originated , New York Times (July 11, 1885)
Law in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 11, 1885)
At Morehead , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 11, 1885)
Court in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 12, 1885)
Rowan County Diversions , Chicago Tribune (July 13, 1885)
The Rowan-County War , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (July 14, 1885)
Rowan's Court , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 15, 1885)
Court in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 17, 1885)
The Trials are Now Progressing at Morehead , Semi-Weekly Interior Journal (July 17, 1885)
Rowan County Affairs , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 21, 1885)
Louisville Commercial , Hazel Green Herald (July 22, 1885)
Kentucky's Noted Outlaw , Chicago Tribune (July 23, 1885)
Trial Of Craig Tolliver , Semi-Weekly Interior Journal (July 24, 1885)
Justice Thwarted , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (July 24, 1885)
More Trouble in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 26, 1885)
Another Farce at Morehead , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 28, 1885)
The Galt House , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 28, 1885)
Z. Y. Young's Defense , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 29, 1885)
The Trial of the Tolliver Faction , Hazel Green Herald (July 29, 1885)
Defending Law-Breakers , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 30, 1885)
Morehead Matters , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 30, 1885)
Rowan County Circuit Court Ordinary Docket (August 1885) , Rowan County (Ky.) Circuit Court (August 1, 1885)
Matters at Morehead , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 4, 1885)
Rows of Rowan: Circuit Court Convenes , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 5, 1885)
Court in Rowan: The People Dissatisfied with the Grand Jury , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 6, 1885)
Matters in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 7, 1885)
Matters in Morehead , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 9, 1885)
From Rowan's Hills , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 12, 1885)
The Castleman Light Artillery , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (August 12, 1885)
Law and Order in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 13, 1885)
Disorder in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 13, 1885)
Cook Humphrey , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (August 14, 1885)
The Law and Order Party , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (August 17, 1885)
Rowan's Court Adjourns , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 18, 1885)
Troops Ordered Home , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 19, 1885)
Cook Humphrey , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (August 19, 1885)
The State Troops , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 20, 1885)
Attorney General Hardin , Hickman Courier (August 21, 1885)
Rowan County: A Graphic Story of the Origin and Progress of the Lawlessness Which Has Disgraced a State , Louisville Courier-Journal (August 22, 1885)
Troop Stationed at Morehead , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (August 24, 1885)
How the Mighty Fallen , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (October 12, 1885)
The Gospel in Rowan County , Louisville Courier-Journal (October 12, 1885)
Rowan's Banished Sheriff , Louisville Courier-Journal (October 13, 1885)
Craig Tolliver: The Rowan County Desperado on Trial in Cincinnati for Robbery , Louisville Courier-Journal (October 13, 1885)
Craig Tolliver's Trial , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (October 21, 1885)
Craig Tolliver , Hazel Green Herald (October 21, 1885)
Craig Tolliver Acquitted , Louisville Courier-Journal (October 22, 1885)
The Bible for Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (October 22, 1885)
Two Opinions , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (November 11, 1885)
A Lumber Mill Burned , Louisville Courier-Journal (December 5, 1885)
Craig Tolliver Not Dead , Monmouth Evening Gazette (December 12, 1885)
An Outlaw Convicted: Bowling, the Rowan Desperado, Gets Twenty-one Years' Imprisonment , Louisville Courier-Journal (December 22, 1885)
Murdered in Bed , New York Times (December 27, 1885)
A Notorious Desperado Shot , Monmouth Evening Gazette (December 28, 1885)
Submissions from 1886
Craig Tolliver Shot , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (January 1, 1886)
Boone Logan's Letters to the Sentinel-Democrat , Boone Logan (January 1, 1886)
Hon. Thomas F. Hargis , John J. McAfee (January 1, 1886)
To Abolish Rowan , Unknown. (January 1, 1886)
The Man Who Shot Tolliver Captured , Louisville Courier-Journal (January 5, 1886)
Quiet in Rowan: Cook Humphreys Visits the Scene of His Exploits-The Lawless Factions Without Leaders. , Louisville Courier-Journal (January 21, 1886)
The Rowan War: Cook Humphreys and Boone Logan Attempt to Renew It in a Frankfort Hotel. , Louisville Courier-Journal (January 24, 1886)
Rowan County Circuit Court Ordinary Docket (February 1886) , Rowan County (Ky.) Circuit Court (February 1, 1886)
Court at Morehead: Judge Cole Mounts the Bench but is Yet Unable to Get a Grand Jury or State Prosecutor. , Louisville Courier-Journal (February 3, 1886)
Judge Cole in Ernest , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (February 5, 1886)
Bills Have Been Introduced , Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (February 9, 1886)
Guilty of Murder , Louisville Courier-Journal (February 16, 1886)
Peace in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (March 1, 1886)
Fleeing From a Mob , Louisville Courier-Journal (March 9, 1886)
Colonel John Hargis , Louisville Courier-Journal (April 7, 1886)
A Mountain Tragedy , Louisville Courier-Journal (May 21, 1886)
The Rowan County Trouble , J. W. Day (May 22, 1886)
A Terrible Death , Louisville Courier-Journal (June 2, 1886)
A.M. Bowling Sent Up for 21 Years , Louisville Courier-Journal (June 30, 1886)
The Rowan County War: Trouble Again Breaks Out Between the Factions , New York Times (July 3, 1886)
Trouble in Kentucky: The Martin and Tolliver Factions at it Again , Monmouth Evening Gazette (July 3, 1886)
Lawless Factions , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 3, 1886)
The Trouble in Rowan , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 4, 1886)
The War in Rowan , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 6, 1886)
Rowan's Shame , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 6, 1886)
Sheriff Shot: Another Bloody Chapter to the Rowan County History , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 7, 1886)
More Trouble in Rowan: A Sheriff While Attempting an Arrest is Mortally Wounded , Monmouth Evening Gazette (July 7, 1886)
Quiet Hostility: Beautiful State of Outlawry Prevailing in Rowan County , Maysville Daily Evening Bulletin (July 9, 1886)
Warring Factions to the Front , Hickman Courier (July 9, 1886)
The Rowan County Troubles: Troops Sent by the Governor to Protect the Court , New York Times (July 10, 1886)
Troops Ordered to Rowan County, Ky. , Monmouth Evening Gazette (July 10, 1886)
Rowan's Factions , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 11, 1886)
Morehead: Something About the Mountain Town Made so Notorious by Its Vendetta , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 12, 1886)
A Special Judge , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 13, 1886)
A Tale of Blood , Louisville Courier-Journal (July 14, 1886)