After months and months of planning (what can I say, I'm an extreme planner!) vacation finally arrived! We suffered through the hot HOT hot South Carolina summer (it's still summer, who I am kidding?!) to finally head to the mountains for some cool mountain mornings, fall colored leaves, and beautiful views! We got all of those plus RAIN! Ronnie Milsap's song Smoky Mountain Rain kept playing in my head as it rained for 40 days and 40 nights (I kid, for serious it rained 7 straight days). BUT we were determined to not let the rain beat us so we put on our rain jackets and embraced the weather because there were things for us to see and history for us to learn and it all started in Pikeville, KY.
Have you heard of the Hatfields and McCoys? Are you team Hatfield or team McCoy? After reading Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900 by Altina L. Waller, I was team Hatfield all the way. And then of course I saw the History channel's Hatfields and McCoys mini-series. Kevin Costner as Devil Anse...I mean who wouldn't be team Hatfield after that! But in all seriousness, team Hatfield. The majority of the Hatfield feud sites are located in West Virginia with the majority of the McCoy feud sites being located in Pikeville, Kentucky. However, they are all within 60 miles of one another.
Due to the rain and detours, our journey from South Carolina to Kentucky was extended a couple of hours, we didn't arrive in Pikeville until mid afternoon which limited us to what we could see with the remaining day time. We decided to start at the Pikeville County Tourism CVB Visitors Center. This small but informative center is a great place to start as they have driving tour maps among other Hatfield & McCoy Feud sites items that really get you ready for your journey. We got our driving tour map and visited the sites in town.
We ventured to the Big Sandy Heritage Center (Museum). We knew we were in for a treat (sarcasm) when we walked into what we thought was the museum entrance only to be standing in the jail watching individuals on 1 side of the glass talk to another individual on the other side of the glass. We walked back out, looked at the sign and sure enough the jail was the first floor and the museum was on the 4th floor. Side note: I laugh when I'm uncomfortable, which of course makes the situation even worse so you can imagine just how hard I was laughing during the entire adventure. Have no fear, we made it to the courtroom, I mean museum (the museum is in a former courtroom). The museum has 5+ rooms to tour that include not only Hatfield and McCoy feud artifacts like Randal McCoy's bed but also artifacts about the county, coal mining, sports, music, etc. The Staff were very helpful and knowledgeable as one of the gentlemen accompanied us through the museum to answer any question we might have. Needless to say, I learned a lot about coal mining which was very interesting!
Native American Ceremonial Drum
Milk Jar Holder (one of my favorite things!)
Portraits of Randolph McCoy (left) and Devil Anse Hatfield (right)
Randolph McCoy's Bed
Hatfield McCoy Painting
Candle Mold
Scrip
Scrip
Canary Cage
After leaving the museum, we visited several Hatfield McCoy feud sites.
The murder trials of the McCoys (murdered were: Tolbert, Randolph Jr., Pharmer, Alifar, and Calvin) were held at this Courthouse. Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts (one of the accused and son of Ellison Hatfield) was hung after being found guilty of murder.
McCoy House (now a Italian Restaurant) is where Randolph McCoy lived after his former residence was burned.
Perry Cline's gravesite. Perry Cline was attorney and family friend of the McCoy family (that's a very short description of who he was in regards to the feud).
Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts' hanging location.
Several members of the McCoy family are buried in the Dils Cemetery.
Gravesite of Roseanna McCoy (daughter of Randolph McCoy). She fell in love with (and had a child by) Johnse Hatfield (son of Devil Anse Hatfield). Johnse ends up marrying Nancy McCoy (they later divorce) and his child (Sarah) with Roseanna dies less than a year after her birth.
Gravesite of Randolph and Sarah McCoy.
Burial site of Basil and Martha Hatfield. (Since it was raining we didn't venture up the hill to the actual gravesite seeing as I could just see myself slipping down the hill.)
Throughout Pikeville there were painted bears on what seemed like every street corner. I thought it was awesome and brightened the cloudy/rainy day.
After we left Pikeville, we drove pass this Lincoln parking lot statue. We enjoyed Pikeville and of course we found a place to eat delicious tacos!
Happy travels,
Amber
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