West Virginia

Feuding Networks, Tradition, and Culture

The Matewan area is also the historic home of the Hatfields of the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud of the late 19th century between the Confederate Hatfields of West Virginia and the Union McCoys of Kentucky on the other side of Tug Fork. The violent feud, resulting in multiple deaths, officially ended in 1891, although the various criminal trials resulting from it took another 10 years. The feud is long in the past, but it remains an important part of local history, and the social ties between and among the rival clans are strong. In 2003, to show that Americans could unite in times of crisis, representatives of the family even signed a symbolic peace treaty. Descendants of both families continue to be prominent in the region, and Henry Hatfield served as governor of West Virginia from 1913 to 1917 and later as a U.S. senator.

West Virginia culture is also celebrated on its college campuses, where traditions build ties between classmates and alumni. At West Virginia University (WVU), Mountaineer Week has celebrated Appalachian culture since 1947, with events ranging from the Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer pageants to a beard-growing contest to a competition to fit as many people as possible into a car from Morgantown's unique people-mover system, the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). WVU athletics are also passionately followed by citizens of the state, regardless of whether or not they are alumni, and WVU fans have a seemingly paradoxical reputation as being both exceptionally hospitable and exceptionally rowdy (with celebrations after games often including intentionally set street fires). Coaches, players, and fans have all commented on the unique bond between the state and the school's sports teams, even by the standards of passionate college sports. Numerous traditions and ceremonies help to reinforce these social connections among fans.

...