Hatfield and McCoy Historic Sites

Does look like him to me. I've never seen this photo. Have you?

RANDOLPH “OL’ RAN’L” MCCOY.

Could this faded tintype be one of the oldest known photographs of Randolph “Ol’ Ran’l” McCoy, the patriarch of the McCoy family during the infamous Hatfield-McCoy Feud?

Edward M. McCoy, a direct descendant of Randolph McCoy, believes there is compelling evidence that this photo depicts the legendary Pike County feudist and patriarch.

“I must thank Yvonne Dehart for calling my attention to the photo of this younger gentleman,” Edward McCoy once explained. “It was tagged as being an old tintype of Randall McCoy; and when I made copies [and visually compared them against an older known image of Randall] and superimposed them on top of each other—holding them up to light—they were a perfect match. This could be the earliest known photo of Randall himself!”

This image offers an unusually rare glimpse of Ran’l McCoy, before the years of violence and tragedy that made his name synonymous with the feud.

Tintypes were a popular form of early photography during the 19th century, making such an image especially intriguing to descendants and historians attempting to document the people behind the famous story.

Ran’l McCoy, of Pike County, Kentucky, lived through some of the darkest chapters of the Hatfield-McCoy conflict. Following the New Year’s Day Massacre of 1888, when Hatfield supporters crossed the Tug River into Pike County and attacked the McCoy homestead, his cabin was burned and much of his family was devastated by the violence.

Afterwards, Randolph relocated to Pikeville, Kentucky, where he lived a quieter life far removed from the hills and hollows where the feud had unfolded. There, he operated a ferry service, earning a meager living along the waters flowing into the region.

Whether this remarkable tintype can ultimately be proven to be McCoy remains a matter for further comparison and historical research. If Edward McCoy’s identification is correct, this humble, weathered photograph may preserve the face of Ol’ Ran’l as a much younger man—before the feud aged him, and made his name one of the most recognizable in all of eastern Kentucky and Appalachian history.

BLAIR MOUNTAIN ARTIFACT.

Over the years, archaeologists excavating around the historic mine-war site have uncovered many artifacts and other evidence from the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain in Logan County, West Virginia, such as this vintage pocket pistol found just beneath the rich soil along the hillside, along with hundreds of metallic cartridges, and other newsworthy items.

Watch this extended clip from a documentary about this historic battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5t908O0j-Q

The historical society has a great page on Col. John Dils, check it out:

John Dils Jr. Biography - Pike County Historical Society Beginning on the next page is an autobiography of JOHN DILS, JR. which was published in William Ely’s 1883 “The Big Sandy Valley”.  Photos are from my collection, not from Ely’s book. In the autobiography Dils concentrated on his family history, his early days in Pikeville, his marriage, h...

REMEMBERING PREACHER ANSE HATFIELD.

A birthday celebration was once held in honor of Anderson “Preacher Anse” Hatfield, drawing a large gathering of family, friends, and well-wishers.

Seated in the center of the front row, alongside his beloved wife, Polly, Preacher Anse is surrounded by those who came to celebrate his life. This post-1900 photograph was taken behind the Hatfield family home near the forks of Hatfield Branch and Blackberry Creek in Pike County, Kentucky.

Preacher Anse was a cousin of Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield of Logan County, West Virginia, connecting this Pike County family to the larger Hatfield family story of the Tug Valley.

Born on September 9, 1839, William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield emerged as the formidable leader of the Hatfield family during the Hatfield-McCoy feud.

Visit the Pikeville-Pike County, KY Welcome Center today to explore the history of the feud and its lasting impact on Appalachia! Call 606-432-5063 for directions.

Our neighbors from Floyd County here to check out our Welcome Center’s exhibits.

Lets welcome our friend from Poland! Coalfields & Cobblestones

How about that?