Why did tobacco farmers bring a Gatling gun to downtown Lexington 120 years ago?
Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history - some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.
Jan. 9, 1905: A Gatling gun arrives in Lexington to protect the tobacco district from Night Riders, a militant, terrorist group of tobacco farmers who resisted the practices of the American Tobacco Company.
Run by James B. Duke, the company controlled about 90 percent of the tobacco buying in the country and cut the prices paid to farmers so low that many could barely make enough to survive.
Between 1904 and 1909, farmers protested Duke’s price cuts by deciding, as a group, to hold on to tobacco, or even to not grow it all, until prices rose. The Night Riders were a very “persuasive” group who would terrorize farmers who didn’t fall in line with the protests.
Some Night Riders even took to destroying crops stored in warehouses – like the ones in Lexington.
In January 1908, city leaders asked Kentucky Gov. Augustus Willson for protection, and he delivered. The Gatling gun was placed at the corner of Broadway and Bolivar streets, along with more than 75 men who kept a 24/7 guard on the district.
“Gov. Willson told us he will not permit lawlessness in the state whatever may be the cost,” Mayor John Skain said.
As for Mr. Duke, he made a fortune from tobacco, and left a lot of it to Trinity College in North Carolina. In fact, the college that was so grateful for the donation, they renamed the school after his father.
Oh, and he started a little electric company. Yeah… THAT Duke.
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 11:26 AM.
