On the way to the Appalachian Studies Association conference, Larry Blalock and I took a side trip to the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, WV. They allowed us to take video of their display in the Museum which can be seen above.
Striking minors endured violence by the mining companies for their efforts to unionize. There were several skirmishes between unions and owners before the large battle. The mine wars resulted in the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. The battle was between the miners and the strikers which led to a long gun battle. Federal troops intervened to quell the violence after several days. The exact death toll is unknown.
Matewan is also in the area where the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud happened. We met many Hatfields while we were there. There is a Hatfield-McCoy trail that you have to pay to use. Many of the struggles that we have in the Alleghenies are similar to the ones they have there, including population decline, poverty, and environmental issues.
In addition to the West Virginia Mine Wars and the feud. In the mid 90’s the Army Corps of Engineers built a large flood wall there to keep the waters at bay. Ironically, Matewan’s largest was in 1977. That was the same year as 3rd major Johnstown Flood.
Allegheny Independent Media is now affiliated with Nonprofit Partners. It is a subsidiary of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. Donations allow us to provide coverage of critical issues facing the Alleghenies. Donate to our site here.