I have always been a book worm and so reading the history of my home state has always been one of my favorite things to do. Zora bailey passed away in north matewan, west virginia. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading matewan before the massacre. The historic matewan house bed and breakfast is nestled in the mountains of west virginia. View all hotels near west virginia mine wars museum on tripadvisor. Coal miners were fighting for the right to organizeand to stop the practice of using mine guards. Matewan before the massacre west virginia book company. On may 19, 1920, gunshots rang through the streets of matewan, west virginia, in an event soon known as the matewan massacre. Matewan, west virginia phone book listings, including common matewan, west virginia phone scams plus local white pages and yellow pages.
Matewan has been a smelting pot of peoples and ideas over the years. Matewan oral history project summer 1989 narrator mrs. Andrew crockett passed away in matewan, west virginia. The depot contains a brief but detailed glimpse into the towns rich history.
Facebook about us biographythe historic matewan house bed and breakfast is nestled in the mountains of west virginia. Williamson, west virginia, mingo republican print, 1938. The coal mining massacre america forgot the mountains of southern west virginia are riddled with coaland bullets child coal miners with mules in gary, west virginia in 1908. This film is based on solid historical events in west virginia coal mining country, variously known as the matewan massacre or the battle of matewan, and dramatizes for both adults and young people the sacrifices made by american laborers as they fought for unionization and, ultimately, for the power to collective bargain. Attempts to unionize by coal miners in 1920 led to the battle of matewan between miners and baldwinfelts detectives, which was the inspiration for the 1987 movie matewan. Matewan, west virginia is a small town steeped in history and tradition. The obituary was featured in southern wv on february 19, 2015. Politics, coal, and the roots of conflict in a west virginia community. Located in one of the most famous little towns in the state, matewan, wv, known for the history making hatfield mccoy feuds and the matewan massacre. Felts, who was connected with the baldwin felts detectives, incorporated, and who was also a deputy sheriff of mingo county, west virginia, with twelve other men went to matewan to evict about half a dozen men who were unlawfully holding possession of some houses belonging to the stone mountain coal.
The matewan public library is apart of the western regional library system and has access to a variety of materials including books, audio books, dvds, cds, downloadable ebooks, eaudio books, music, databases and much more. Welcome to the historic matewan house bed and breakfast, located in downtown historic matewan, west virginia. With a crackerjack ensemble castincluding james earl jones, david strathairn, mary mcdonnell, and will oldhamand oscarnominated cinematography by haskell wexler, matewan taps into a rich vein of americana with painstaking attention to local texture, issuing an. Matewan is also home to west virginia mine wars museum, a popular history museum that is not too far from historic matewan house bed and breakfast. Western maryland railway in west virginia our price. West virginia department of education 1900 kanawha boulevard east charleston, west virginia phone. Brief history of matewan massacre and march on blair. Throughout the past century, the southern coalfields of west virginia have seen some of appalachias most rambunctious history. Funeral home services for zora are being provided by hatfield funeral chapel.
Yoho in the early 1900s, the baldwinfelts detective agency played a brutal and bloody role in. The story behind these 15 places in west virginia is fascinating and sometimes disturbing. Historic matewan house bed and breakfast in matewan, wv. Todays wv history politics book is return to matewan. Welcome to the historic matewan house bed and breakfast, located in downtown. It was 1921 in the southwest west virginia coal fields, and, as the narrator recalls, things were tough. Matewan is a peaceful little town of 500 with a railway depot, homey restaurants, and scenic hiking trails. But was it instead the culmination of an even longer series of proceedings that unfolded in mingo county, dating back at. The historical society fosters an appreciation of the past, with an emphasis on local history. Matewan before the massacre provides the first comprehensive history of the area, beginning in the late eighteenth century continuing up to the massacre. Matewan sits at the heart of west virginias magnolia district. Located in one of the most famous little towns in the state, matewan, wv, known for the history making hatfield. The area where the shootout took place is known as the matewan historic district today. Also in the museum, you will find a gift shop that features artwork by local artists and other pieces that reflect the wild and wonderful appalachian culture of matewan.
Oral historian john hennen west virginia university interview conducted on july 16, 1989 project sponsor matewan development center inc. The town sits at the heart of the hatfieldmccoy feud country and hosted the beginnings of a movement to reform fair working conditions and the right to unionize following the mine wars, matewan massacre and battle of blair mountain in the early parts of the twentieth century. The towns history is on display at the towns web site, which has a small museum. The residents of minden, west virginia, have been living and suffering on contaminated land for more than 30 years.
They say it started with a bear hunter and his favorite dog, mate. Matewan begins a history exhibit, preservation, huntington heralddispatch, 518 1990. The history book club 18463 members last activity 4 hours, 14 min ago interested in history then you have found the right group. Negligent strip mining and heavy rain produced a raging flood. Historic matewan house 304 4265607 bed and breakfast. Matewan is a small town located in mingo county along the kentucky border. Matewan massacre was 70 years ago saturday, clarksburg telegram, 5181990. The history book club is the largest history and nonfiction group on goodreads and. Funeral home services for andrew are being provided by chambers funeral services matewan. Historic matewan house bed and breakfast posts facebook. Martial law in west virginia and major davis as emperor of tug river.
In response to efforts by miners to organize into a labor union, the stone mountain coal company announces it will cut the pay miners receive, and will be importing replacement workers into town to replace those who join the union. For decades, the history of the west virginia mine wars was forgotten, suppressed and denied on many fronts, including in the very history books taught within the state. Had a great experience learning about the coal history in southern west virginia. Matewan white pages phone books in west virginia wv. The magnolia district, along with the harding and lee districts, came together to form mingo county in 1895. Mingo county history sources west virginia division of. Matewan, west virginia has a bloody history this quiet little town played an important role in the mine wars.
Goldenseal book of the west virginia mine wars our price. Perry president, west virginia board of education contact info. Dec 27, 2016 matewan is a peaceful little town of 500 with a railway depot, homey restaurants, and scenic hiking trails. Matewan is a quiet little river town in mingo county. This project is a collaboration between the matewan community and west virginia university reed college of media. With help from mary mother jones harris jones, an important figure in unionizing the mine workers, the miners. The following books and articles relating to the matewan massacre can be found at the archives and history library. The matewan development center records contain records related to the development centervisitor center and to the history of matewan, west virginia. Shootout in matewan, west virginia, may 19, 1920 youtube. We need to put yellow tape around the entire state of west virginia. Matewan is the home to some of americas most colorful history. The detectives carried out several evictions then dined at the urias hotel before walking to the depot to catch the five oclock train back to bluefield, west virginia. Dec 26, 2018 the matewan massacre is often cited as the opening of the west virginia mine war of 192021, which escalated into an armed conflict involving thousands after hatfields murder at welch later in 1921.
She first learned about matewan through stories her coal miner grandfather told about witnessing sid hatfields murder. Oral historian rebecca bailey sic west virginia university interview conducted on june 21, 1989 project sponsor matewan development center inc. While staying at historic matewan house bed and breakfast, you may want to check out wingos grill 0. The home of the matewan massacre, the heart of hatfield mccoy feud country and the hatfield mccoy trails. Building was chambers hardware in 1920, site of the battle of matewan. This town in west virginia has a dark and evil history that will never be forgotten. Genealogy research resources mingo county wvgenweb. Visitors can explore and experience the matewan depot replica museum at their own pace. West virginia public broadcasting also has an excellent collection of education resources for background on the mine wars and coal camp life.
It occurred on may 19, 1920 between local coal miners and the baldwinfelts detective agency. Apr 25, 2017 the coal mining massacre america forgot. Pbs mine wars documentary tells a complex tale arts. On the morning of the 19th day of may, 1920, albert c. West virginia mine wars museum matewan 2020 all you need. Welcome to the historic matewan house bed and breakfast, located in downtown matewan, west virginia. The west virginia coal wars 191221, also known as the mine wars, arose out of a dispute between coal companies and miners. Devils backbone adventure resortcountry roads, take me home.
The norfolk southern railways pocahontas district runs through the town. A bloody battle took place that sparked a war for better conditions for coal miners. West virginias coal miners and their battle for freedom. The film dramatizes the events of the battle of matewan, a coal miners strike in 1920 in matewan, a small town in the hills of west virginia. Coal miners had been seeking to organize a union in response to practices like being paid in scrip. Matewan commemorates anniversary of massacre, williamson daily news, 520 1989.
Matewan historic district in mingo county, west virginia. It was 1921 in the southwest west virginia coal fields, and, as the narrator recalls. From family feuds to mine wars, matewan has always been center stage as stories unfold. The film was nominated for the academy award for best cinematography.
The buffalo creek disaster west virginia archives and history more than thirty years ago, one of the deadliest floods in u. The matewan massacre is interpreted by the state of west virginia through a historic highway marker produced by the west virginia division of culture and history. West virginia mine wars museum matewan 2020 all you. This past weekend, over 500 people visited matewan, west virginia to catch a glimpse of a brand new museum that tells the story of a dark and bloody time in west virginias labor history. Williamson, west virginia, williamson printing company, 1960. Whitepages is the largest and most trusted online phone book and directory.
Clayton burch state superintendent of schools david g. Matewan oral history project summer 1989 narrator tom chafin williamson, west virginia. Historic matewan house bed and breakfast home facebook. Views galore, room to play, and ridein, rideout access. The battle of lewisburg featured on civil war books and authors blog civil war books and authors, 11172017 featured titles. Matewan yellow pages phone books in west virginia wv. Most historians of west virginia and appalachia see this event as the beginning of a long series of tribulations known as the second mine wars. The battle of matewan also known as the matewan massacre was a shootout in the town of matewan in mingo county and the pocahontas coalfield mining district, in southern west virginia. See the history of matewan unfold through the depictions on the floodwall as you walk along the scenic path between the wall and the river.
Historic matewan house bed and breakfast, matewan, west virginia. The first workers strike, in west virginia, was the cabin creek and paint creek strike of 191219. West virginia mine wars museum independent history museum covering the mine wars era in matewan, wv. Brandon barker, resort manager 304 5427066 email protected 100 adventure lane matewan, wv 25678. Located in one of the most famous little towns in the state, matewan, wv, known for the history making hatfield mccoy feud. The matewan historical society, located in delbarton, wv, is a local organization dedicated to studying and preserving the history of delbarton. Matewan, west virginia, matewan development center, n. Thomas greene is a rare mountain philosopher who understands both sides of that path and lives his life navigating its twists and turns.
You wouldnt guess it, but in 1920, a bloody battle took place on these peaceful streets. Historic matewan house bed and breakfast, mate st, matewan. The naming of the small magnolia town is a story in itself. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Take a journey into the hills of west virginia to experience matewan, tucked away in hatfieldmccoy country. Oct 01, 2008 online shopping from a great selection at books store. The road to matewan is a road to progress and industrialization and a road to death and destruction. She wrote matewan before the massacre because she could not let the story go. A film history, including archive film footage of sid hatfield.
If you look closely you can see devils backbone adventure resort tucked into the valley between the stunning appalachian mountains. Search our online phone book to find phone numbers, addresses, and more. This one area of west virginia history has been ignored and, in some cases, suppressed, west virginia southern. Later, when she came to west virginia university to study public history, she was hired to help collect oral histories in matewan and mingo county. Guide to the matewan development center records, 19891995.
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