Matewan Historic District - Matewan WV
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nomadwillie
N 37° 37.366 W 082° 09.971
17S E 397088 N 4164600
A small town with significant history in the American Labor movement. It has also been designated as a National Historic Landmark
Waymark Code: WMG1D5
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 01/01/2013
Views: 9
Matewan, a town in Mingo Country, West Virgina is located on the north side of the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River at the confluence of Mate Creek. Matewan was a small town in the 1920's of 800 people, mainly miners or buisness folks associated with the mining business.
The Matewan Historic District is significant in the history of organized labor in America, The district was the scene of the Matewan Battle of May 1920, during which local police chief Sid Hatfield emerged as a local hero after he stood up to the coal company agents, who were attempting to remove Union workers for m the coal company housing. Syd Hatfield was later assassinated because of his role in the battle.
The conflict was precipitated by a strike in 1920 by coal miners who demanded the company recognize the legitimacy of the United Mine Workers of America. The coal company retaliated by bringing in armed guards to evict the mineres. Syd Hatfield threatened to arrest the agents on the grounds they had no warrant for eviction. Word spread through out the county and tension increased in the town. When the detectives returned, Hatfield informed them he had a warrant for their arrest. A shot was fired, and the conflict increased leaving 7 detectives, 2 mines and the Mayor dead.
This was the beginning of unrest between of coal miners union and the coal companies peaking at the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain in Logan County, West Virginia. This was the largest and most violent labor uprising in American History.
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