Gosh, it's been many many moons ago now, but back in the early 1990s I took a trip to West Virginia, with friends of mine who came from there. It was to a small town nestled up in the mountains, a mining community where many of the roads weren't even paved, kids still played in the creeks and the homes ran up steep slopes, one after the other.
I loved it!
The old movie theater in the center of town, the High School where my friend's hubby had been one of the football team in his youth, and where not far from town, in a little place called Sarah Ann, they took me to the Hatfield cemetery.
http://www.mywvhome.com/1900s/hatfield.html
It was amazing, standing there, letting the history of the area, the family, and the feud, wash over me and thinking I was actually there.
The statue of Devil Anse is very imposing, and nobody has ever explained to me how a "hillbilly family" from "the mountains" knew where to order it from in Italy! I mean, in this computer age, I could search online, but to find a craftsman in a foreign country, back then ... I'm so very curious as to whose idea it was and how it came about ... but obviously, I will never know as anyone who did is now long gone as well.
Afterwards, we drove by their old house and I had a look around there too. There was a family member there and they spoke with us. It was really interesting. He seemed fascinated that someone from England had even heard of the Hatfields and McCoys.
My friend, Patty, also told me about the massacre at Matewan, a few miles away.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Matewan
I love history though, and I love small towns and their stories.
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