Matewan, West Virginia

Matewan, West Virginia
—  Town  —
Matewan, West Virginia.
Nickname(s): Bloody Mingo
Location of Matewan, West Virginia
Coordinates: 37°37′23″N 82°9′59″W / 37.62306°N 82.16639°W / 37.62306; -82.16639Coordinates: 37°37′23″N 82°9′59″W / 37.62306°N 82.16639°W / 37.62306; -82.16639
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Mingo
Area
– Total	0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
– Land	0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	705 ft (215 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	498
– Density	989.2/sq mi (381.9/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	25678
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-52324[1]
GNIS feature ID	1542862[2]

Matewan is a town in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA at the confluence of the Tug Fork River and Mate Creek. The population was 498 at the 2000 census. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Pocahontas District runs through the town.

Geography

Matewan is located at 37°37′23″N 82°9′59″W / 37.62306°N 82.16639°W / 37.62306; -82.16639 (37.623034, -82.166416)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all land

Demographics

Aerial view of Matewan, West Virginia

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 498 people, 253 households, and 124 families residing in the town. The population density was 989.2 inhabitants per square mile (384.6/km²). There were 277 housing units at an average density of 550.2 per square mile (213.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.78% White, 3.61% African American, 1.00% Native American, 0.20% Asian, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 253 households out of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% were non-families. 48.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town the population was spread out with 17.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $13,529, and the median income for a family was $27,188. Males had a median income of $25,500 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,586. About 16.8% of families and 31.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 20.2% of those age 65 or over.

History and culture

A section of the floodwall along the Tug Fork in Matewan, West Virginia, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, depicts the Hatfield-McCoy feud.

The town was named after Matteawan (now called Beacon), a town in Dutchess County, Upstate New York. Matteawan was the home town of Erskine Hazard, a civil engineer from the Norfolk and Western Railway who laid out the town in 1890 and drew up the first map of the new community. Local residents, however, changed the spelling and pronunciation.^[4]

Attempts to unionize by coal miners in 1920 led to the Battle of Matewan between miners and Baldwin-Felts detectives, which was the inspiration for the 1987 movie Matewan. The town's history is on display at the town's Web site, which has a small museum.

Notable residents and natives

• Sam Church, labor union leader
• John Hendricks, founder and chairman of Discovery Communications
• Sid Hatfield, police chief, famous for the Matewan Massacre

Attractions

Because of its rich history (Hatfield–McCoy feud and Matewan Massacre), the center of the town was designated the Matewan Historic District, a National Historic Landmark. Interesting sights and tours can be had while visiting the town.

The Hatfield–McCoy Trails opened a trail head in Matewan. Trail Riders can now easily access the trail system while staying in town.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
4. ^ Origins of Matewan, West Virginia

External links

• Official Matewan, WV Website at Matewan.com
• Matewan, WV Visiter Website at Matewan.org
• Official Matewan, WV Tourism Website at VisitMatewan.com
• Matewan High School