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Matewan, West Virginia
Recognizing Mine and Labor History
Members of the Matewan community attend an event recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 2020. Image courtesy of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum.

Members of the Matewan community attend an event recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 2020. Image courtesy of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum.

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum was founded in 2015 by historians, archeologists, storytellers, artists, mine workers, and descendants of mine workers. Together, these founders aimed to provide a place to recognize Matewan, West Virginia’s significance to U.S. labor history and the region’s struggle to unionize the southern coalfields, telling the story of the Mine Wars from the perspective of miners and their families. Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities has proven transformative for the grassroots organization, enabling it to hire staff, engage with local partners and stakeholders, and create events for the local community and southern West Virginia. Funding from the CARES and ARP Acts, through the NEH, stabilized the museum in difficult times while helping it reach a broader audience through online forums and educational programming.

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