The Hangings of Wolfe County, Kentucky

For each time and place exists a history that lies on the darker side of the hill, and the history of Wolfe County, Kentucky is no exception. In this vein, there are recollections of Civil War atrocities, cold-bloodied murders and other crimes. Two dates stand out in the shaded annals of the county - 4 September 1885 and 1 June 1888. On these days, two young men were hung at Campton, the county seat of Wolfe. Both hanging victims were convicted of murder and sentenced to hang by a jury of their peers. These hangings did not go without consequence, for these prescribed doses of justice carried a severe side effect, especially since one of the victims was found to be innocent years later. The Wolfe County hangings greatly challenged the morality of her citizens. These events left such a scar on the county's conscience; they are still talked about by the natives, over a hundred years after the fact, and the county has not condemned another to death during the years since. This book is their stories.