Matewan, WV

united states

Matewan is a small coal town of 500 people tucked in a narrow valley along the Kentucky border in southern West Virginia. Reach it via winding US Route 119 from Charleston (120 miles) or US Route 52 from Bluefield. The town sits where the Tug Fork River cuts through the Appalachian Mountains, creating rare flat ground in this rugged region. Matewan is famous as the site of the 1920 Matewan Massacre, a pivotal labor confrontation that helped ignite the West Virginia Mine Wars.