The Crough–Pergrem Feud of Bath County, Kentucky

 

Violence at the Olympia Depot, 1930

Bath County, Kentucky has never been as widely associated with family feuds as places like Breathitt or Perry counties, but in the early 20th century, simmering family rivalries could still erupt into deadly violence. One such conflict—remembered locally as the Crough–Pergrem Feud—came to a violent end in the spring of 1930 at the small railroad stop of Olympia, Kentucky.

Bad Blood Between Cousins

At the heart of the feud were two men related by blood: Curtis Crough (sometimes spelled Crouch) and James Pergrem (also spelled Pergram). Court records later described the relationship between the two as one marked by longstanding ill will. What began that animosity is no longer entirely clear—an all-too-common problem in Appalachian family conflicts—but by 1930, tensions had clearly escalated beyond reconciliation.

In rural Kentucky at the time, personal disputes were often handled privately, and grudges could fester for years. When firearms were involved, it only took one public encounter for things to spiral out of control.

The Shooting at Olympia

On April 6, 1930, Curtis Crough arrived at the Olympia railroad station armed with two pistols. James Pergrem was also armed. The men encountered one another, exchanged words, and soon became engaged in a physical struggle that spilled onto the ground.

Witnesses later disagreed on exactly what happened next—who drew first, who fired first—but once the men broke apart, gunfire erupted. Shots rang out around the depot, a public place where bystanders were present.

During the chaos, someone ran to summon Marshall Pergrem, James’s brother. Marshall arrived armed, and additional shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Curtis Crough lay mortally wounded. He later died from his injuries.

The Courts Step In

The killing shocked the local community and quickly drew the attention of authorities. James and Marshall Pergrem were jointly indicted for Crough’s murder in Bath County. Given the notoriety of the case and local tensions, James Pergrem was granted a change of venue to Rowan County.

At trial, Pergrem’s defense centered on self-defense and mutual combat, arguing that the encounter was forced upon him and that Crough had come prepared for violence. The jury ultimately rejected a full self-defense claim but stopped short of a murder conviction. James Pergrem was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to two years and one day in prison.

The conviction was appealed but later affirmed, cementing the case as one of the most violent and publicly documented family disputes in Bath County history.

A Feud Remembered, But Poorly Documented

Unlike some Appalachian feuds that spanned generations and involved multiple killings, the Crough–Pergrem conflict appears to have culminated with the Olympia shooting. Later references to the “feud” are largely retrospective, rooted in the deadly confrontation itself rather than a long series of recorded acts.

Still, the case reflects a familiar Appalachian pattern:

• family ties strained by long memories,

• pride and resentment left to fester,

• and violence erupting in a moment when restraint finally failed.

Final Thoughts

Today, the Crough–Pergrem Feud survives mostly in court opinions and scattered local memory. There are no monuments, no ballads, and few surviving newspaper accounts—but the story remains a stark reminder that even small communities can harbor conflicts capable of deadly consequences.

Sometimes, history isn’t loud or legendary. Sometimes, it’s just a handful of people, a rural depot, and a feud that ended in gunfire.

Author’s Note:
Much of what is known about the Crough–Pergrem Feud comes from surviving court opinions rather than extensive newspaper coverage. Like many rural Appalachian conflicts, the underlying causes were seldom documented in detail, leaving historians to rely heavily on legal records and testimony preserved through the appeals process.

Sources & References

Primary Legal Sources

1. Pergram v. Commonwealth, 241 Ky. 829, 45 S.W.2d 512 (Ky. Ct. App. 1931).
   – This appellate decision provides the most complete surviving account of the April 6, 1930 shooting at the Olympia railroad station, including the prior ill feeling between Curtis Crouch and James Pergram, the presence of firearms, witness testimony, and the legal arguments surrounding self-defense and mutual combat.

2. Pergram v. Commonwealth, 239 Ky. 766, 40 S.W.2d 356 (Ky. Ct. App. 1931).
   – An earlier related opinion detailing the circumstances of the confrontation, the involvement of Marshall Pergram, and the procedural posture of the case before the final appeal.

Supplemental Context

3. Bath County Circuit Court Records, 1930 (Murder Indictment Files).
   – Indictments and pretrial motions involving James Pergram and Marshall Pergram following the death of Curtis Crouch. (Held in county court archives; not fully digitized.)

4. Rowan County Circuit Court Records, 1930–1931.
   – Trial proceedings following the granted change of venue for James Pergram, including jury instructions and sentencing.

Historical Context

5. Appellate court commentary on mutual combat and self-defense doctrine in early 20th-century Kentucky criminal law, as cited within the Pergram opinions.