Welch, West Virginia
Welch, the county seat of McDowell County is approximately seven miles north of Coalwood.
McDowell County Courthouse.
The movie Matewan (www.imdb.com/title/tt0093509)
deals with Mingo County, West Virginia, in the 1920s. (Mingo County is just to
the west of McDowell County.) Matewan tells the story of coal
miners, struggling to form a union, who are up against company operators and gun
thugs. One of the people portrayed in the movie was Police Chief Sid
Hatfield. Hatfield and his deputy (Ed Chambers) were shot down by
Baldwin-Felts agents on the steps leading up the court house pictured above in
August 1921. The bullet pock marks are still evident there.
The movie October Sky had its first showing in McDowell County on
September 30, 2005 (yes, 2005!) at this theater in Welch.
Elkhorn Creek flows through Welch. This creek eventually flows into the Tug Fork
(not shown) which also flows through Welch.
About half way between Welch and Coalwood, looking towards Coalwood.