By RACHEL C. DOVE
Staff Writers
WILLIAMSON - West Virginia University Extension Professor Bill Richardson is getting ready to see the fruits of his labor materialize, as the entire nation will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the legend of the Hatfield and McCoy feud, beginning Monday, May 21.
The History Channel “American Pickers” episode filmed in Mingo County will air at 9 p.m.
Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, the show’s hosts, visited the town of Matewan, surrounding communities and the City of Williamson during their trip. Monday evening’s episode that will revolve around the history of the Hatfield and McCoy feud and reveal the items picked by the popular duo, and will also showcase a scene filmed inside the historical Coal House.
The American Pickers episode is just the first in a long list of television shows relating to the famous feud that will air in the near future.
On May 24, at 9 a.m. the ABC morning talk show “Anderson,” hosted by journalist Anderson Cooper, will feature an interview with actor Kevin Costner, one of the stars of the History Channel Hatfield and McCoy’s mini-series.
A Mingo County business owner and retired educator, Linda Van Meter, a descendant of the Hatfield clan, was invited to be a part of the show’s audience, as well as a McCoy descendant from Tennessee. Van Meter was asked a question by the host regarding her ancestry, and was able to meet both Cooper and Costner. She and her husband, Doyle, traveled to New York City for the show’s taping.
On Memorial Day, May 28, the much anticipated History Channel’s Hatfield and McCoy mini-series starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton will make its debut at 9 p.m. On the 29 th, the first episode will replay from 7 until 9 p.m., followed by the 2nd part at 9 p.m. On Wednesday the 30th, the 2nd part will play again at 7 p.m., with the 3rd segment of the series beginning at 9 p.m.
“We’re very excited about the mini-series and the other shows that center around the Hatfield and McCoy feud, and l look forward to the attention it will bring the Tug Valley area,” said Richardson. “I fully expect a definite increase in tourism, as folks from all across the United States become more interested in the history of the feud that is such an important part of Mingo County history.”
On June 2 at 4 p.m., the History Channel will broadcast a two hour documentary entitled “America’s Greatest Feud: The Hatfield and the McCoys.”
The show will be followed by a re-run of the mini-series, if the schedule of events doesn’t change. An episode of the popular show “Pawn Stars” that is said to feature a gun that allegedly belonged to “Cap” Hatfield is also slated to air in the future, but a definite date and time has so far not been released.
“How the States got their Shapes,” a History Channel exclusive, will feature a segment about the famous feud during the portion highlighting the State of West Virginia, and the Daily News will pass the debut date along to the public once it is made available.
Mingo County will be thrust into the History Channel spotlight as the story of the Hatfield and McCoy feud is told in several different manners and according to Richardson, if we prepare and plan for the influx of attention it brings us, it can be turned into a tourism attraction that we will greatly profit from, and our future generations as well.
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