Just a few weeks ago, my daughter and I headed for Western Kentucky to cover five counties over two days. I hoped to locate at least one historic site from each county that I could add to my website. I’ll admit that some counties have been a little more difficult to accomplish than others, and Hopkins County presented me with one of those difficulties. My rule for my website has always been that the post I make needs to be a historic site that still stands and can be visited or toured. Meaning, it can’t be a private residence, an Airbnb, or a Bed & Breakfast. (I limit myself with my own rules sometimes.) I don’t give up easily, though, and I finally stumbled across the log cabin home of Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon. So, while we were out and about in Western Kentucky, we made a stop to check Hopkins County off our list.
Edward Ruby Laffoon
Edward Ruby Laffoon was born in Madisonville, KY, on January 15, 1869, to John Bledsoe and Martha Henrietta Earle Laffoon Jr.
Ruby, as he was called, was the youngest of John and Martha’s three children and their only son. (The Laffoons’ two daughters were Susan Isabella Laffoon and Amaryllis Amma Laffoon.) Ruby’s father, John, was a farmer, and Ruby was born in a little log cabin on their family farm.
Ruby attended the public school system in Madisonville, followed by a private school in Hopkins County. He later attended Columbia Law School, but actually graduated with a law degree from Washington & Lee University in 1890.
Career & Family
“A lifelong Kentuckian, Laffoon’s early exposure to politics began at the formative age of 17 when he relocated to Washington, D.C., to reside with his uncle, U.S. Representative Polk Laffoon. This invaluable experience offered him a firsthand look into the workings of the national political landscape, deeply cultivating his own interest in public service.”
Calendarz
After receiving his degree, Laffoon returned to Madisonville, where he established a law practice in 1892. Then, on January 31, 1894, he married Kentucky-born Mary Nisbet, daughter of John Crittenden and Mary Katherine Bryant Nisbet, in Madisonville.
Ruby and Mary had three children together, all daughters: Laura Isabel (Laffoon) Boyd, Martha Lou (Laffoon) Robinson, and Lelia Holeman (Laffoon) Lindsay.
After establishing his law firm, he attempted to enter into Kentucky politics. He aligned himself with the Democratic Party and ran for state treasurer in 1907 and state auditor in 1911. He lost both races, but he didn’t let that stop him.
“In 1912, he secured an appointment as chairman of the first State Insurance Rating Board. He also served on the bench of the Hopkins Circuit Court from 1921 to 1931.”
National Governors Association
In 1931, Laffoon won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, officially launching him into Kentucky politics. He ran against and defeated the Republican candidate, William B. Harrison, in what was the largest margin of victory in a Kentucky gubernatorial election at that time. Ruby Laffoon was sworn in as the 43rd Governor of Kentucky on December 8, 1931.
The Great Depression & The Terrible Turk from Madisonville
Laffoon began his governorship facing the negative impacts of the Great Depression, which had begun just 3 years earlier with the Wall Street Crash of 1929. With state revenues tanking by the end of 1931, Laffoon wanted to balance the state budget and pull Kentucky out of the depression. While that alone was a beautiful idea, his proposal for making that happen was not! In 1932, Laffoon urged the General Assembly to approve a sales tax. That’s right! Laffoon suggested Kentucky adopt a sales tax in the middle of the Great Depression. This, of course, was not well received by the General Assembly, Kentuckians, or Laffoon’s party, including his own Lieutenant Governor, A.B. “Happy” Chandler, who “led the charge against Laffoon’s tax through two regular sessions and one special session of the legislature, which led to a bitter feud between the two men.” (Sam Terry’s Kentucky)Â
“On March 3, 1932, thousands of anti-tax store owners rallied in the rain on the Capitol lawn in Frankfort.
Northern Kentucky Tribune
About 100 men and women did more than verbally abuse Laffoon’s levy. They raided the governor’s mansion, scaring the staff, trashing the floors and slightly damaging some furnishings, according to the Associated Press, which flashed the news nationwide.”
With “remarkable political tenacity,” Laffoon charged on, forging a bipartisan alliance that finally led to the passing of the sales tax in 1934. Because of his aggressive political style and his sometimes harsh approach to governing, Laffoon received the nickname of The Terrible Turk of Madisonville from former Republican Governor Edwin P. Morrow. (WKU)
Other Accomplishments – for Good or for Bad
While the Kentucky sales tax was the negative highlight of Laffoon’s governorship, there were other accomplishments under his leadership between 1931 and 1934.
- A governmental reorganization bill was sanctioned
- A new school code was implemented
- 560 pardons were granted to lessen prison overcrowding
- 2,368 Kentucky colonels were commissioned, including Col. Harlan Sanders of KFC fame, the largest number in state history
- Was responsible for building more highways and bridges than in the previous 15 years (KHS)
After the Governor’s Office
Upon finishing his term, Ruby Laffoon returned to his law practice in Madisonville. He then served as a member of the Democratic National Committee in 1936 and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1940.
Governor Ruby Laffoon passed away on March 1, 1941, and was buried at the Grapevine Cemetery in Madisonville, Kentucky.
Laffoon’s Childhood Home
Built in the mid-1800s, the log cabin in which Lafoon was born was moved from the family farm to a location next to the Historical Society of Hopkins County, near downtown Madisonville. At the time of relocation, the cabin was restored and then furnished with period pieces.
The Exterior of the Laffoon Family Cabin / Photos Courtesy of KHT
Visiting & Reflection
Laffoon’s cabin is sometimes open for tours, but it was not on the day of our visit. You can contact the Historical Society Museum of Hopkins County through their Facebook page or by calling 270-821-3986 to arrange a tour of the cabin.
This cabin is an awesome way to show school-aged children the simplicity of life in Kentucky in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. As for my daughter and I, we were not heartbroken about missing a tour. As I’ve noted before, we’ve seen a log cabin or two… or I don’t know, maybe twenty! We were okay to snap a few pictures and continue into downtown Madisonville and then on to the next county. For those who have not been inside a log cabin, I highly recommend the visit and suggest calling before heading in that direction.
I think it’s fantastic that the cabin has been saved and restored. Without it, I never would have taken an interest in Ruby Laffoon and wouldn’t have learned where that nasty sales tax comes from! 🙃 The next time I check out at a store, I’m going to say, “Thanks, Ruby!” (sarcastically, of course) and remember his simple beginnings in a simple log cabin in Madisonville, KY.
