Museum will preserve precious history at the last Hatfield homeplace

SARAH ANN, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Deep in the mountains of Logan County rests Devil Anse Hatfield, the patriarch of the Hatfield Family during its feud with the McCoy family in the late 1800s. Not far from the Hatfield family cemetery is where Devil Anse last lived.

“He mentioned during the feud that he was going to move so far back into the mountains that they’ll never reach him, and if they did, he would be able to take care of them before they reached him,” said Jackie Hatfield Jr.

Jackie is the great-great-great grandson of Devil Anse, and the family history is his passion. His mission, along with the Hatfield & McCoy Foundation, is to collect as many artifacts from the feud as possible and bring them back to where Devil Anse last lived.

“Not only the properties, but the relics of the family have gotten out of the family’s hands,” said Hatfield Jr.

Although the home where Devil Anse lived no longer stands, the history of the property remains. A museum on the property will preserve the precious history of the feud.

“We know it’s out there. There are a lot of rumors going around and so I’m trying to find it, collect it, and bring it into the museum,” Hatfield Jr. said.

Despite more than a century’s worth of stories, nobody knows the full truth of the feud.

“When I meet McCoys and we talk about different parts of the story, they even have their own version of what happened,” Hatfield Jr. said.

But with both families now working together, they are an example of settling differences. The museum will be an integral part of preserving the history of both families.

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