Whitepages is the largest and most trusted online phone book and directory. Hatfield, a native of the region, was a supporter of the miners attempts to organize the umw in the southern coalfields of west virginia. The following books and articles relating to the matewan massacre can be found at the archives and history library. Sep 30, 2008 on may 19, 1920, gunshots rang through the streets of matewan, west virginia, in an event soon known as the matewan massacre. Politics, coal, and the roots of conflict in a west virginia community. 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. If you have any articles we can use on the coal mine wars of west virginia, send to gracie stover. Anarchism swept us away completely, because it demanded everything of us and promised everything to us. The goldenseal book of the west virginia mine wars. Similarly, in 1920 there were 850 people in matewan itself. Read more about the influence of a company store, or see the remains of a. West virginia coal operators and the west virginia coal association, whose slogan friends of coal. On may 19, 1920, gunshots rang through the streets of matewan, west virginia, in an event soon known as the matewan massacre. Turn this town around matewan, wv, matewan, west virginia.
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. It was this emotional immediacy that made me think of making a movie about the events in matewan. The historic matewan house bed and breakfast is nestled in the mountains of west virginia. The battle of matewan was a shootout in the town of matewan in mingo county and the pocahontas coalfield mining district, in southern west virginia. The few safety laws on the books were rarely enforced. Western maryland railway in west virginia our price. Matewan white pages phone books in west virginia wv. Coal miners had been seeking to organize a union in response to practices like being paid in scrip. West virginias coal mines had a higher death rate than any other state in the union in the first decade of the 20th century. Finds sid hatfield and others innocent of killing detective in west virginia. I was shocked by many of the poems in this book, probably the most by the duo shelva jean tells the sheriff what she saw, and after the dago boy turns up dead, to which i had strong physical reactions. 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. They offer information about the area and maps of rhe hatfield and mccoy trail and the history of the state as well as information of. 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.
Apr 10, 2017 on the morning of may 19, 1920, a squad of seven private security agents arrived in matewan, west virginia, to evict a handful of families from their homes. West virginia public broadcasting also has an excellent collection of education resources for background on the mine wars and coal camp life. The baldwinfelts agency had been established in the 1890s and was fast used to strikebreak in the west virginia coalfield in 1902. There was a shootout between police chief sid hatfield and his allies on the union side and baldwinfelts detective agency guards hired by the coal mine owners. Pbs mine wars documentary tells a complex tale arts.
Shootout in matewan, west virginia, may 19, 1920 youtube. It was bituminous coal in west virginia, and it was organization, not settlement that she was aiming for. Men go back to matewan but are still under indictment for other murderscounty. The bulk of his book is about two mine wars that took place in west virginia in. The battle of blair mountain was the largest labor uprising in united states history and the largest armed uprising since the american civil war. Where is the ken burns of the coal mine wars, or of the labor movement, or of appalachian history. James greens the devil is here in these hills the new york times. Sep 01, 2018 the battle of blair mountain was the result of years of bitter labor disputes between the miners and coal companies of southern west virginia. You wouldnt guess it, but in 1920, a bloody battle took place on these peaceful streets. This backward situation has begun to change slightly with john sayles film matewan in 1987. The buried history of west virginias coal wars the. Politics, coal and the roots of conflict in a west. Inside lived the wives and children of coal miners who were fired months earlier for trying to unionize. Baldwinfelts detectives in the southern west virginia coal field, west virginia history 4 spring 1979.
Cowboy bob shares book tales news, sports, jobs news. The west virginia coal wars 191221, also known as the mine wars, arose out of a dispute between coal companies and miners. The coal mining massacre america forgot history smithsonian. The museum is one of the only surviving testaments to the struggles of the states coal miners in the early 20 th century a labor story that wilma believes more people ought to know.
Testerman, and don chafin, this book tells the story of a clash between workers and. Baileys book makes early twentiethcentury mingo county come alive and. The first workers strike, in west virginia, was the cabin creek and paint creek strike of 191219. Jan 20, 2016 the documentary, based in large part on james greens book, the devil is here in these hills, chronicles the hurdles coal miners in southern west virginia encountered from 1900, when mary. The coal house 3042355240 stone heritage museum 6062376099 or 6063539834 matewan depot and wv mine wars museum 3044265744 or 1844 matewan williamson farmers market 3042353400. Changes come to matewan with new focus on tourism west. Goldenseal book of the west virginia mine wars our price. Much neglected in historical accounts, thunder in the mountains is the only available book length account of the crisis in american industrial relations and governance that occured during the west virginia mine war of 192021. The museum is dedicated to educating the public about the events of the m.
Had a great experience learning about the coal history in southern west virginia. Guide to the matewan development center records, 19891995. Most historians of west virginia and appalachia see this event as the beginning of a long series of events known as the second mine wars. He said he is invited each year to perform in the matewan massacre, a show about the coal wars in. Coal miners, struggling to form a union, are up against company operators and the gun thugs of the notorious baldwinfelts detective agency. On march 12, 1883, the first carload of coal was transported from pocahontas in tazewell county, virginia, on the norfolk and western railway. West virginia mine wars museum matewan 2020 all you. The matewan massacre is important though, as part of the continuing civil strife between union sympathizers and coal mine operators and their hired gunmen. 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.
She first learned about matewan through stories her coal miner grandfather told about witnessing sid hatfields murder. The west virginia mine wars were a complicated, inspiring, and tragic series of. Book an excursion with them before you come and youll get a guided tour of the appalachian mountains. 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. To keep order in a town like matewan, you needed a man like sid hatfield as chief of police. The west virginia mine war, 192021, has compared the mine wars era to the rich history of the old west and it was larger in. Matewan before the massacre west virginia book company. Four months after its opening, the mine wars museum was awarded the coal heritage award for interpretation. Umwa local 1440,matewan wv, matewan, west virginia. It occurred on may 19, 1920 between local coal miners and the baldwinfelts detective agency. I got in touch with this museum before my trip to west virginia.
West virginia mine wars museum matewan 2020 all you need. Although world war i briefly distracted union organizers and coal. Matewan was one of the towns that became the center of the defiant coal miners and their families. Matewan is a small town located in mingo county along the kentucky border. Here is the first known mention of her travel to matewan originally spelled matteawan. These striking photos will change the way you look at coal country. The mountains of southern west virginia are riddled with coaland bullets. Part of a new mural in downtown matewan, west virginia, depicting life in the coal mines. Coal accounted for about onethird of all the jobs in the county and more than half of the total income. Steele is a board member and cofounder of the west virginia mine wars museum, a humble collection of artifacts and displays in matewan, west virginia. Features medeival west virginia, by gracie stovergolden mother jones in court, play written by bob and carol damron mother jones, links to mother jones websites interviews.
The west virginia mine wars were a complicated, inspiring, and tragic series of events that occurred in southern west virginia in the first decades of the 20th century when coal miners and their supporters fought against unfair and often illegal working and living conditions enforced by their bosses with. There was no remote corner of life that it did not illumine. Jun 15, 1985 this book looks at the short conflict which took place in southwest west virginia when violence escalated, first when private detectives in the pay of the coal companies got into a gunfight with locals in matewan when the detectives came out to evict the families of miners trying to unionize. Since the late 1800s, the coalfields of the states. 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. From family feuds to mine wars, matewan has always been center stage as stories unfold. The west virginia coal wars 191221, also known as the mine wars, arose out of a dispute.
The matewan development center records contain records related to the development centervisitor center and to the history of matewan, 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. The mine wars, which took place in the southern west virginia coalfields from 1912 to 1922, included the paint creekcabin creek strike 1912, the battle of matewan may 1920, the battle of the tug may 1920, and the miners march on logan august 1921 and the ensuing battle of blair mountain. Watch the mine wars american experience official site pbs. If you went to work in the mines you were paid with company money, called scrip that could only be. On may 19, 1920, a shootout in matewan, west virginia, between agents of the baldwinfelts and local miners. The case of the west virginia coal mine wars, 19201921. Store smithsonian journeys smithsonian channel smithsonian books.
The mine wars tells the overlooked story of the miners in the mountains of southern west virginia native mountaineers, african american migrants, and european immigrants who came together. Matewan, wv was selected as the southern winner of wvfocus magazines turn this town around campaign. The west virginia mine wars museum opened in may 2015 to preserve and share the rich and colorful history of the local communities. Historic matewan house 304 4265607 bed and breakfast. Apr 25, 2017 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. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. The conflict occurred in logan county, west virginia, as part of the coal wars, a series of early20thcentury labor disputes in appalachia. The wv mine wars museum preserves and interprets artifacts and historical records of the local communities affected by the mine wars, exploring historical events from multiple perspectives through the lives of ordinary people. Based on the coal wars in wv during the 1920s, this is the story of joe coming to town to organize the strikers into a union. Lon savage, author of the 1985 book thunder in the mountains. Throughout the past century, the southern coalfields of west virginia have seen some of appalachias most rambunctious history. However, unionized coal mines in southern west virginia are on the wane now, and have been for some time.
This historical coloring book is designed to be an interactive way for kids to learn. The downturn of the coal industry hurt matewan, like much of southern west virginia. The mine wars museum is closed to the public for the season, but special tours can be scheduled for groups, and you can read more about the history of matewan and the mine wars on their website. Politics are always at the mercy of human nature and custom, and the coal wars of the twenties were so personal that they make ideology accessible in a story, make it immediate and emotional. The massacre was a real event that took place in 1920 in matewan, on the tug fork in mingo county, during the west virginia mine wars. The mine wars tells the overlooked story of the miners in the mountains of southern west virginia native mountaineers, african american.
Matewan 1987 john sayles watch online christie books. Black and italian miners, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught between the two forces. She wrote matewan before the massacre because she could not let the story go. There have been a couple of books by journalists about the era, only one or two by historians. The coal house is also the chamber of commerce for williamson. Matewan is the home to some of americas most colorful history. James greens history of the coalmining uprisings in west virginia in the.
Martial law in west virginia and major davis as emperor of tug river. May 19, 1920 gunshots rang through the streets of matewan, west virginia, in an event soon known as the matewan massacre. These striking photos will change the way you look at coal. If you youve seen john sayless evocative film matewan 1987.
Teaching the history of the west virginia mine wars life. With help from mary mother jones harris jones, an important figure in unionizing the mine workers, the miners. West virginias mine wars compiled by the west virginia state archives. Collins used real characters from history in her books, several of whom she is related to. But was it instead the culmination of an even longer series of proceedings that unfolded in mingo county, dating back at. It began in the small railroad town of matewan when mayor c. Watch the mine wars american experience official site. This book looks at the short conflict which took place in southwest west virginia when violence escalated, first when private detectives in the pay of the coal companies got into a gunfight with locals in matewan when the detectives came out to evict the families of miners trying to unionize. The matewan massacre on may 18, 1920, matewan chief of police sid hatfield intervened on behalf of evicted miners families.
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