The infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud started near present-day Matewan on August 7, 1882, when Eillison Hatfield was killed by three McCoy brothers. Although the killings lasted only 8 years, the press continued to sensationalize the feud for many years afterward.
The town was founded in 1895 with the extension of the Norfolk and Western Railway and the opening of the Williamson Coalfield. The 1920s saw fatal confrontations between the townspeople, miners and mine company detectives. The catalyst was the attempt by the United Mine Workers of America to organize the area's miners.
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