The Rowan County War: Kentucky’s Most Notorious Feud

Logan Boone's forces gathered outside the American Hotel and Saloon in Morehead, KY (Source)

BCRP Tuesday,12th of August, 2025 (Source)

The Rowan County War, also called the Martin–Tolliver Feud, was one of Kentucky’s most violent local conflicts, raging from 1884 to 1887 in and around Morehead. At least 20 people were killed, dozens were wounded, and the county’s reputation was tarnished for years. Rooted in political rivalry, personal grudges, and the lingering culture of vendettas, the feud’s origins can be traced back to an earlier and equally bloody dispute—the Underwood–Holbrook feud of the late 1870s, which claimed the lives of every male Underwood.

Accusations against Judge Hargis in 1879 call into question the integrity of his candidacy for the circuit judgeship, alleging tampered Rowan County court records. His insufficient defense and reluctance for a full investigation raise suspicions, potentially undermining public trust in his judicial role.(Source)

John Martin, a Republican and county clerk, had been loosely connected to the Underwoods because he rented land from them. His opponent, Democrat Floyd Tolliver, had also aligned with the Underwoods in earlier disputes. The two men were political adversaries, with tensions aggravated by accusations against Martin of falsifying records, running an illegal distillery, and having gambling debts.

The feud boiled over on August 4, 1884, election day. Martin became embroiled in a heated political argument at the polls, and when pistols were drawn, Sheriff John C. Day and Floyd Tolliver arrived to restore order. Rocks were thrown, shots rang out, and Solomon Bradley—a friend of Martin’s—was killed. Since no one knew who fired first, both Martin and Tolliver were indicted for manslaughter.

The legal process never ran its course. In December 1884, while both men were in Winchester, they encountered each other while drinking. Martin shot Tolliver, mortally wounding him. Tolliver’s dying words to his friends were chilling: “Remember what you swore to do; you said you would kill him; keep your word.”

Not long after, Tolliver’s allies tricked authorities into transferring Martin back to Morehead. When the train stopped en route, they boarded and shot him. He died the following day. The county’s population split almost entirely along party lines—Democratic families backing the Tollivers, Republican families backing the Martins. By 1885, it was said that nine out of ten men in Rowan County had taken a side.

Article Excerpt from the Courier-Journal on December 3, 1884, describes escalating violence and arrests in the Rowan County War in Morehead, KY, highlighting a masked attack resulting in the death of J.G. Hughes and the lethal encounter between John Martin and Floyd Tolliver.(Source)

Craig Tolliver, Floyd’s relative, was soon elected town marshal, effectively seizing control of Morehead. He faced fierce opposition from Dr. Ben Martin, John Martin’s father, and Republican sheriff Cook Humphrey. Killings, ambushes, and street shootouts became routine. The state militia was called in three times, including the Louisville Legion, but even armed soldiers could not bring lasting peace. At one point, General Sam Hill advised the governor that Rowan County should be dissolved entirely due to lawlessness.

The violence culminated in June 1887, when Hiram and Logan Pigman led a group of vigilantes to confront Craig Tolliver. Sixty armed men fought a two-hour gun battle in Morehead. Craig Tolliver and three others were killed, finally ending the feud.

In the aftermath, the people of Morehead were deeply embarrassed by their notoriety. Determined to repair their community’s image, they established the Morehead Normal School in 1887 to promote education and civility. The institution eventually became Morehead State University in 1922.

Remarkably, reconciliation did come. Two years after the final shootout, Grace Martin, daughter of Gils Martin, married Frank Tolliver, brother of Craig. The press dubbed the families “the Capulets and Montagues” of Kentucky. The New York Times famously wrote, “Little Cupid has accomplished what the state of Kentucky exhausted its Executive, Legislative, and Judicial machinery to compass.” Or, what they really meant was, "Women: keeping the men-folk civilized since at least 1889."

The Rowan County War left scars both physical and cultural, but it also became a story of eventual peace—an enduring reminder of how deeply political, personal, and historical tensions can intertwine, and how reconciliation sometimes comes from the most unexpected of places.