August 4th I went with my parents down to Matewan, WV, Mingo County to celebrate my birthday and visit a new Mine Wars Museum. This used to be a big coal mining town. A movie was made called Matewan (1987) about this area, the mine wars, and a shoot out between miners and guards. This area is also where the Hatfield & McCoy feud took place. There is a huge network of ATV trails called the Hatfield & McCoy Trails, so see a lot of ATV riders in town. Four bullets holes in the wall above my shoulder from the shootout. Original Main Street where the shootout took place. Main Street now looking West Main Street now looking East Behind this building is where the shootout took place. Train Depot museum Floodwall around town with murals. Tug Fork. Kentucky is on the other side of the river. Coal mining mural in town.
Here is the trailer for the movie Matewan. Clip of the shootout from the movie. The movie was filmed in Thurmond, WV. Basically a ghost town now. I went there a few years ago. Pics of Thurmond, WV. You can recognize the buildings from the Matewan movie and trailer. Train Depot
Must get pretty high. One of the people there said one flood the water was in the 2nd floor of the buildings. With the surrounding mountains, all the rain flows into that one valley. Before the wall, they suffered 33 floods in 35 years. The flood wall where I took the pics was about 15 foot high, and 4 foot thick. 1984 Flood
Did you meet Don McCoy (descendent of Asa), in Matewan? He and his wife (a Hatfield if I recall correctly), own an inn and restraunt there in town, as well as the history place it appears that you were at. We stayed with them on a dualsport trip we took up there and he showed us around on his bike, they fed us every night after hours, gave us history lessons at night, all the while hanging out and howling at the moon with us into the wee hours. The lady across the street with the bed and breakfast place had a awesome breakfast buffet that we'd hit up to start our mornings. Those three people were great, down to earth people. It is sad to see the depression in the area though.
We ate at Wingo's BBQ, which is on the first floor of the Hatfield and McCoy Inn. Don and Kathy McCoy own it. I think Kathy waited on us. Their daughter-n-law, Kim McCoy, who was a Hatfield and married a McCoy, runs the Mine Wars Museum. Everyone there was really nice. Seemed like everyone was either related to a Hatfield or a McCoy. The Matewan Bed & Breakfast is across the street. I think the ATV trails have helped that area more than anything. Wingo's and Hatfield McCoy Inn Matewan Bed & Breakfast
