McDowell County, WV historical facts

                     McDowell County, West Virginia coal tipple

McDowell County, West Virginia, Historical Facts

Eyewitnesses reported between 25 and 50 shots fired on the steps of the McDowell County Courthouse in Welch, WV, August 1, 1921.  Matewan Police Chief, 26 year old, W. J. "Smiling Sid" Hatfield and 22 year old Ed Chambers, lay dead.  Charged with "shooting up" the Mohawk coal tipple during this controversial union organizational period with the UMWA against big coal operators, the two were gunned down in cold blood on the steps of courthouse.              A US Senate Committee tied the untimely deaths back to a prior shooting spree in Matewan, WV, which occurred on May 19, 1920.  Brothers of Thomas L. Felts, a partner in the Baldwin-Felts (union busters) Agency were killed (7 Baldwin-Felts employees killed).  Sid Hatfield, with 18 additional men, charged with the shootings, were acquitted of all charges.             Thomas Felts, owner of the Baldwin-Felts Agency, admitted to furnishing men to coal operators to intercede in matters against possible union organizational efforts by the United Miner Workers.              McDowell County-world's largest coal producing county in the world for 22 years             US Senator Robert C. Byrd - his foster father worked in the coal mines on the banks of the Elkhorn Branch of the Tug Fork and the family lived in West Virginia