August 27, 2008

Dangerous Neighborhood

Looking over the 1920 Census for Letcher County, KY the other day, I ran across something I found interesting.  Here is a portion of one of the sheets for the Jenkins Precinct...


On line 3 of the list is John Wright residing in household number 583 with his wife Mattie and a son Carlos.    About five households farther down the page on line 20 is Sam Potter, his wife Belle, and their large family.  On line 28 we find five-year-old Ira Potter (Ted's father).

The John Wright on line 3 is better known as "Bad John Wright" to most and "Devil John Wright" to others. 


"Bad John" was one of the most famous, or infamous, men of the Kentucky mountains at the start of the 1900's.  The number of men he was said to have killed (25 to 30), the number of women he kept (?), and the number of children he fathered (31) are the stuff of legend.  A number of books have been written about "Bad John".   This Google Search lists several.

I just finished reading Bad John Wright: The Law of Pine Mountain By Phillip K Epling.  (Mr. Epling was from Elkhorn City.  His son Allan Epling was a science teacher at ECHS for a while.)  Mr. Epling's book is a somewhat sanitized account of the life of "Bad John", covering his Civil War experiences, his detective work after the war, and the Wright-Jones Feud.

Getting back to what I found interesting about that census page, I wonder of old "Bad John Wright" knew how dangerous it could be, living there so close to "Bad Ira Potter".

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like reading these tid bits of history from our homeplace.

Anonymous said...

That is very interesting. I wonder if Ted ever heard stories about Bad John when he was growing up? What a rough time to be living in. I often wonder if any of us could live in that time? I think we are all to spoiled no days.

Anonymous said...

I have heard Ted talk about Devil John. He was lucky he wasn't living near Bad Bert Potter.

Linda Potter Whitt said...

I would like to hear about Bad Bert Potter. I am a descendant of Reuben Potter born 1829. My family left that area after Bad John Wright shot Reuben Potter while he was sitting on a log fence making his children shoes for the winter.
I would like to know where Benjamin Potter lived and where Reuben Potter was killed. Thank you.

S. Mullins said...

There were some rough,tough,and tumble neighborhoods back in those days. Poor Reuben Potter shot by Bad John Wright. Was it "lower Elkhorn Creek" that I once read the expression "infested with moonshiners,fugitives,and outlaws?" Many infamous feuds between Mullins, Halls,Flemings,Potters.