NIGHT RIDERS & THE TOBACCO WARS

 

Between 1904 and 1909 in western Kentucky and Tennessee there was what is called a civil uprising.

It was a very violent and bloody time in our history.

The American Tobacco Company under the direction of James B. Dukes held a monopoly on tobacco prices.

The farmers could not break even raising tobacco and selling it to the "Dukes Trust."

The farmers formed an Association and pooled their tobacco to keep it off the market and drive the price up.

If a farmer sold his tobacco to the Trust he would be paid a visit, usually at night by the men of the Association, they became known as Night Riders.

The farmers crops would be destroyed, and houses and barns burned, they would be badly beaten or sometimes even killed.

The leader of the Night Riders was a quite country doctor from Cobb, Ky, by the name of Dr. David Amoss.

The Historical Society now has possession of the home of Dr. David Amoss and it has been restored.
Tours of this important western Kentucky historical site are available..

Also the Night Rider Tour will be on the second weekend in October, a wagon ride to the Amoss house with re-enactors all along the way, lots of surprises.

This tour is always busy so make your plans to go, now.


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The Historical Society published a book in 2003 called:

Night Rider Files:

Trials and Tribulations of the Historic Civil Uprising as told in Newspaper Accounts from the 1890's to 1919

I believe there are only seven of these books left so if you want a copy, you need to order now….
These books have been reordered, so if you missed getting a copy before, you may do so now.