Buddy Rogers Park in Fredonia in Caldwell County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
The Black Patch War in Fredonia
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Rice Tobacco Factory Burned
Photographed by Pamela R. Faughn
1. The Black Patch War in Fredonia Marker
The Black Patch War in Fredonia. Farmers in western Kentucky and Tennessee fought with buyers over the price of their tobacco from 1904-1909. The farmers created the Planters Protective Association to challenge the American Tobacco Company’s monopoly on the cash crop, but many farmers refused to join. To compel their cooperation, vigilantes known as Night Riders scraped plant beds and burned barns and warehouses.
Rice Tobacco Factory Burned. While Night Riders were not as successful in northern Caldwell County, they did visit Fredonia twice during the Black Patch War. On November 12, 1906, they burned the Rice Tobacco Factory at this site. In February, 1908, they cut phone lines and held Fredonia captive for three hours while others rode to nearby View, Kentucky, to burn the property of tobacco buyer, A.H. Cardin.
Erected 2024 by Kentucky Historical Society. (Marker Number 2667.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 12, 1906.
Location. 37° 12.226′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest, in the South, and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fredonia (approx. ¼ mile away); Patriot Burials (approx. 1½ miles away); a different marker also named Patriot Burials (approx. 1.6 miles away); Centreville Livingston Presbyterian Church Cemetery (approx. 1.6 miles away); Centerville (approx. 1.9 miles away); Crittenden Furnace (approx. 6.1 miles away); Piney Fork Cumberland Presbyterian Church (approx.
Photographed by Pamela R. Faughn, circa May 26, 2025
2. The Black Patch War in Fredonia / Rice Tobacco Factory Burned Marker - Side 2
More about this marker. The marker is set at the location of the Rice Tobacco Factory which was burned by the Night Riders. The location is now the site of the Buddy Rogers Park owned by Fredonia American Legion Post 103. The Fredonia Valley Heritage Society made application for this historical marker to the Kentucky Historical Society.
Regarding The Black Patch War in Fredonia / Rice Tobacco Factory Burned. Fredonia is a very small town. The Rice Tobacco Factory was probably the largest building ever constructed in Fredonia. It was built in 1888 and was three stories tall. It had a capacity of 450 hogsheads of tobacco. Tobacco was a major crop in western Kentucky at that time.
Additional keywords. Black Patch War Fredonia, Kentucky Rice Tobacco Factory
Credits. This page was last revised on September 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2026, by Pamela R. Faughn of Fredonia, Kentucky. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 20, 2026, by Pamela R. Faughn of Fredonia, Kentucky. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
