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Brandon Ray Kirk

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Brandon Ray Kirk

Tag Archives: Phyllis Kirk

Hatfield Tunnel at Sprigg, WV (2022)

03 Saturday Dec 2022

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Sandy Valley, Matewan

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Allen River Wall Hatfield, Appalachia, Ben Patterson, Bend of the River, Brandon Kirk, Catlettsburg, Greenway Hatfield, Hatfield Tunnel, John Wallace Hatfield, Kentucky, Mingo County, Norfolk and Western Railroad, Phyllis Kirk, Pike County, Sprigg, West Virginia

A video from the 1990s features commentary from two sons of Allen “River Wall” Hatfield (1892-1978), who lived in Pike County, Kentucky. Scenes include Hatfield Tunnel, the Allen Hatfield farm, and the John Wallace Hatfield Family Cemetery. One person who is shown in the video died in 1997, so the video dates to 1990-1997.

Scene 1

…other side over there at the end of the bridge is West Virginia. And over on this side is Kentucky. My dad [Allen “River Allen” Hatfield, son of John Wallace Hatfield] walked up those beams and carried water—he was a water boy—while they were putting in this bridge here. This is a bridge that goes through the mountain that cuts off where the river makes a circle called the Bend of the River. And the Bend of the River is where the Hatfields lived. And over here is the tunnel. Hatfield Tunnel. And I have walked through this tunnel. You walk through this tunnel. There was man-holes through this tunnel and you could walk through here and… Step on the side when you hear a train coming. My dad and Ben Patterson who used to be the tunnel watchman here took a handcar and went over to Sprigg and put a self-playing piano on a handcar, brought it through the tunnel and took it across the river here and we unloaded it and hauled it down to our house, which was the Greenway Hatfield farm. Ben Patterson and my dad were very close friends. This is the tunnel and place where the Hatfields used to go down to Catlettsburg and they used to go down to Catlettsburg and as they took rafts down by the river and get at Catlettsburg and they’d buy whisky. The way they brought it back they brought a casket and put the whisky in a casket and put the casket in the coach car like there was somebody had died. So they’d get the train to stop right here at this tunnel and let the corpse off, you know. So they could get by with bringing in whisky from Catlettsburg.

Hatfield Tunnel, erected in 1914. Sprigg, Mingo County, WV. October 2022
Hatfield Tunnel, erected in 1914. Sprigg, Mingo County, WV. October 2022
Hatfield Tunnel, erected in 1914. Sprigg, Mingo County, WV. October 2022. Photo by Mom.

Elk Creek Community Cemetery at Emmett, WV (2020)

29 Friday May 2020

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Cemeteries, Coal

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Ray Kirk, cemeteries, coal, Elk Creek Community Cemetery, Emmett, genealogy, history, Logan County, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Ramaco Resources, Walter Sias, West Virginia

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Up this way to Elk Creek Community Cemetery… 5 February 2020

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Coal is not dead! For more information, go here: https://www.ramacoresources.com/mining-complexes/elk-creek/ 5 February 2020

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My parking spot. Miners helped me to find the cemetery, which was concealed by the mining operation. 5 February 2020

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Up this way to the (mostly neglected) cemetery! 5 February 2020

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Someone left this pretty cardinal painting here. 5 February 2020

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View from the cemetery. 5 February 2020

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The Sias graves. 5 February 2020

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My great-great-uncle is buried here. 5 February 2020

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Sias graves. 5 February 2020

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Sias graves. 5 February 2020

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Sias graves. 5 February 2020

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This little guy found me. Made a buddy. 5 February 2020

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Here goes Mom to decorate the graves. 5 February 2020

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Walter F. Sias (1896-1933) was a brother to my great-grandmother, Gertie (Sias) Frye. He is buried here with two of his children. 5 February 2020

Tom Dula: Trial and Hanging in Statesville, NC (2020)

29 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Tom Dula

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, Depot Hill, fiddle, fiddler, fiddling, history, Iredell County, North Carolina, photos, Phyllis Kirk, sheriff, Silas Alexander Sharpe, Southern Railway Depot, Statesville, Tom Dooley, Tom Dula, William Wasson

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Iredell County Courthouse, Statesville, NC. The courthouse that hosted Tom Dula’s trial between 1866 and 1868 is gone; this courthouse was built in 1899. 7 January 2020

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Col. Silas Alexander Sharpe House. Spectators here saw Tom Dula ride by from the courthouse to the gallows…supposedly playing a fiddle. 7 January 2020

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Col. Sharpe House. 7 January 2020

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Southern Railway Depot, built c.1911. Tom Dula was taken to a gallows near the original depot at what is called Depot Hill and hanged in 1868. The original depot stood 300 yards to the northeast. 7 January 2020

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Tom Dula was hanged somewhere in this vicinity. Perhaps as many as 3000 spectators attended the hanging. 7 January 2020

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Tom Dula was hanged somewhere in this vicinity. Sheriff William Wasson had never executed anyone prior to Dula. Photo by Mom. 7 January 2020

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Tom Dula was hanged somewhere in this vicinity. For some reason, no historical markers are here to help tourists find the spot. Photo by Mom. 7 January 2020

Tom Dula: Wilkes County Jail, Part 2 (2020)

16 Sunday Feb 2020

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Tom Dula

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, crime, Elkville, history, justice of the peace, Laura Foster, North Carolina, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Pickins Carter, Tom Dula, true crime, Wilkes County, Wilkes County Jail, Wilkesboro

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The Wilkes County Jail was built in 1859. Here’s our guide showing us the jail cell on the lower floor. 8 January 2020

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All three cells have the original doors, wood, and iron bars. The keys still operate the door! 8 January 2020

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The jail was used until 1915, when it was converted into apartments. It was scheduled for demolition in 1968 but a local group saved it. It began operation as a museum in the 1970s. Here’s the lower floor cell before restoration… 8 January 2020

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This way to the two cells upstairs… 8 January 2020

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Was a knife like this one used to kill Laura Foster? 8 January 2020

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In June of 1866, Justice of the Peace Pickins Carter wrote the warrant for Tom Dula’s arrest from this desk in Elkville, NC. 8 January 2020 For more info, go here: http://www.kronsell.net/the_story_3.htm

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No known photographs of Tom Dula exist, but here is one local artist’s rendition of him. Photo by Mom. 8 January 2020 For information about the fake Tom Dula picture, read this article: https://www.statesville.com/news/local/joel-reese-column-who-s-the-soldier-in-the-photo/article_48eb0f0c-4c93-11e8-8455-abac2bbbaf82.html

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Through these bars is Tom Dula’s jail cell. 8 January 2020

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Looking inside of Tom Dula’s cell… 8 January 2020

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Tom Dula’s jail cell… 8 January 2020

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Inside of Tom Dula’s jail cell with the guide. Photo by Mom. 8 January 2020

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Inside of Tom Dula’s jail cell… 8 January 2020

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Tour happening! Photo by Mom. 8 January 2020

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Side window inside of Tom Dula’s jail cell… 8 January 2020

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Looking out of the front window inside of Tom Dula’s jail cell… 8 January 2020

Tom Dula: Ferguson, NC (2020)

08 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Civil War, Music, Tom Dula

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, civil war, Confederate Army, Elkville, Ferguson, fiddler, Frank Proffitt, Grayson and Whittier, history, Kingston Trio, music, North Carolina, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Sharyn McCrumb, The Ballad of Tom Dooley, Tom Dooley, Tom Dula, Wilkes County

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Reading Sharyn McCrumb’s masterpiece “The Ballad of Tom Dooley” sent us down to find historical sites in the vicinity of Ferguson in Wilkes County, NC. 7 January 2020. Most anyone will remember this 1958 mega-hit by the Kingston Trio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhXuO4Gz3Wo

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Tom Dula (1845-1868), a Confederate veteran and fiddler, lived in Elkville, just above Ferguson, NC. Few sites remain from his time; most of the old buildings are gone. 7 January 2020. Here’s the first recording of “Tom Dooley” by Grayson and Whittier (1929): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWd1rNmDAgg

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Finding this sign in Ferguson meant that we were basically at Ground Zero. More discoveries to come! Photo by Mom. 7 January 2020. Here’s a personal favorite version of “Tom Dooley” by Frank Proffitt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfPdCveqQRw

Kiahs Creek, Wayne and Lincoln Counties, WV

19 Saturday Oct 2019

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Kiahsville

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bear, Big Laurel Fork, Brandon Kirk, Francis Fork, horses, Kiahs Creek, Lincoln County, Mountain Home Cemetery, nature, New Salem Old Regular Baptist Church, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Wade Adkins Branch, Wayne County, West Virginia

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Black Bear, Francis Fork of Kiahs Creek, WV. Photo by Mom. 2015

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House With the Rock, Wade Adkins Branch of Kiahs Creek, WV. 15 July 2016

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Log Structure on Francis Fork of Kiahs Creek, WV. 31 August 2019

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Mountain Home Cemetery, Trough Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV. 5 August 2017

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New Salem Old Regular Baptist Church, Big Laurel Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV. 15 July 2016

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Old School at Big Laurel Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV. 15 July 2016

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Head of Big Laurel Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV.  15 July 2016

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Head of Big Laurel Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV.  15 July 2016

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Head of Big Laurel Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV.  15 July 2016

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Head of Big Laurel Fork of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV.  Photo by Mom. 15 July 2016

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Road in the Road, Wade Adkins Branch of Kiahs Creek, Wayne County, WV. 15 July 2016

West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville, WV (2019)

23 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Music

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Tags

banjo, banjo contests, Betty Vornbrock, fiddle contests, fiddlers, fiddling, folk festivals, Glenville, history, Lincoln County, music, Paul Gartner, Phyllis Kirk, The Country Store and Museum, The Pioneer Stage, West Virginia, West Virginia State Folk Festival

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Straight ahead…the WV State Folk Festival! Glenville, WV. 21 July 2019

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Here we are early in the day. 21 June 2019

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Highlight: The Country Store and Museum. 21 June 2019 https://www.wvstatefolkfestival.com/country-store-and-museum

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Inside of The Country Store and Museum are many great things! 21 June 2019

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Black Diamond Strings in The Country Store and Museum. 21 June 2019

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Here’s Betty Vornbrock winning the fiddle contest. 21 June 2019

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Paul Gartner, the winner of the banjo contest, lives in Lincoln County, WV. Photo by Mom. 21 June 2019

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Out and about on the grounds. 21 June 2019

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Out and about on the grounds. 21 June 2019

 

Hatfield-McCoy Feud: Ellison Hatfield Grave at Newtown, WV (2019)

17 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Cemeteries, Hatfield-McCoy Feud

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, Ellison Hatfield, Floyd Hatfield, genealogy, Hatfield Cemetery, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, history, Mate Creek, Mingo County, Newtown, Phyllis Kirk, Sarah Hatfield, West Virginia

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Up this way to the old Hatfield cemetery. Newtown, Mingo County, WV. Photo by Mom. 6 July 2019.

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Entering the old Hatfield cemetery. It was a bit weedy! Photo by Mom. 6 July 2019.

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I mowed some of the graves and made sure to place flowers at the grave of Ellison Hatfield. Photo by Mom. 6 July 2019

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Leaving the cemetery, you can return to the paved road by going left over the bridge or right through Mate Creek. 6 July 2019

Antique Timber Branding Stamp Hammer (2019)

09 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Timber

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Tags

history, logging, photos, Phyllis Kirk, timber, timbering

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These well-worn hammers were used to “brand” the ends of freshly cut logs so as to identify the owner of each log. Photo by Mom. 7 June 2019

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When timber men sent hundreds or thousands of logs floating down the river to market, the identifying mark proved ownership. Cutting the end of the log, thus removing the brand symbol, was a penitentiary offense. Photo by Mom. 7 June 2019

Gov. Simon Bolivar Buckner Grave in Frankfort, KY (2019)

26 Sunday May 2019

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Cemeteries, Civil War, Hatfield-McCoy Feud

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Tags

Brandon Kirk, cemeteries, civil war, Confederacy, Confederate Army, Frankfort, Frankfort Cemetery, genealogy, governor, history, Kentucky, Phyllis Kirk, Simon B. Buckner, U.S. Military Academy

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Simon Bolivar Buckner grave at Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, KY. Governor Buckner, a veteran of the Confederate Army, played a role in the Hatfield-McCoy Feud. Located in Section I of the cemetery. Photo by Mom. 21 May 2019

Barboursville Cemetery (2015/2017)

23 Saturday Feb 2019

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Barboursville, Cemeteries, Lincoln County Feud

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Tags

Anthony Shelton, Appalachia, Barboursville, Barboursville Cemetery, Brandon Kirk, Cabell County, genealogy, history, Hollena Brumfield, Lincoln County Feud, Margaret Shelton, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Randolph Moss, West Virginia, William S. Kelley

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Anthony and Margaret Shelton headstone, Barboursville Cemetery, Barboursville, Cabell County, WV. 14 February 2015

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Dr. V. Randolph Moss grave, Barboursville Cemetery, Barboursville, Cabell County, WV. Dr. Moss was an attending physician to Hollena Brumfield after her gunshot wound to the face in September of 1889. Photo by Mom. 5 May 2017

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Dr. V. Randolph Moss grave, Barboursville Cemetery, Barboursville, Cabell County, WV. Photo by Mom. 5 May 2017

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Dr. V. Randolph Moss grave, Barboursville Cemetery, Barboursville, Cabell County, WV. 5 May 2017

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William S. Kelley grave, Barboursville Cemetery, Barboursville, Cabell County, WV. 15 February 2015

Buskirk Cemetery at Buskirk, KY (2015)

09 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Cemeteries, Coal, Culture of Honor, Matewan

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Tags

Appalachia, Baldwin-Felts Agency, Brandon Kirk, Buskirk, Buskirk Cemetery, Cable Testerman, cemeteries, Ed Chambers, genealogy, history, Kentucky, Matewan, Matewan Massacre, mayor, McDowell County, Mine Wars, Phyllis Kirk, Pike County, Sid Hatfield, Welch, West Virginia

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Partial view of the Buskirk Cemetery in Buskirk, Pike County, KY. 16 May 2015.

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Sid Hatfield grave (left) and Cable Testerman grave (right). Note gap between the headstones.. After Cable’s death, Sid married his widow. Was the burial spot between the two men reserved for her? 16 May 2015. https://yesteryearsnews.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/married-the-man-who-killed-her-husband-and-then/

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Sid Hatfield headstone, Buskirk Cemetery, Buskirk, KY. Sid was chief of police in Matewan, WV. 16 May 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnHY7HHPhCw

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Sid Hatfield headstone, Buskirk Cemetery, Buskirk, KY. After his murder, labor activists fashioned a mythical Sid Hatfield. The real Sid Hatfield has been largely lost to history. 16 May 2015. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/282

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“Defender of the Rights of Working People”…? 16 May 2015.

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Cable Testerman headstone, Buskirk Cemetery, Buskirk, KY. Mayor Testerman was shot and killed in the Matewan Massacre. 16 May 2015.

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Ed Chambers headstone, Buskirk Cemetery, Buskirk, KY. Chambers and Hatfield were murdered at Welch, WV. 3000 people reportedly attended their funerals. 16 May 2015.

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Fun day! Buskirk Cemetery, Buskirk, KY. 16 May 2015. Photo by Mom.

Confederate Statue at Union, WV (2016)

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Civil War, Monroe County

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, civil war, Confederacy, Confederate Army, Hinton Marble Works, history, Monroe County, Phyllis Kirk, Union, West Virginia

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Visiting the Confederate statue at Union, Monroe County, WV. 6 August 2016. Photo by Mom.

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Way out in the distance is the statue. 6 August 2016.

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The statue. 6 August 2016. Photo by Mom.

Jackson’s Mill (2015)

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in American Revolutionary War, Civil War, Lincoln County Feud, Native American History

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Tags

American Legion Mountaineer Boys State, American Revolution, Appalachia, Battle of Chancellorsville, Beverly, Blake G. Woodson, Blood in West Virginia, books, Brandon Kirk, civil war, Confederate Army, Edward Jackson, First Battle of Manassas, George Conrad, Harpers Ferry, Henry McWhorter, history, Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Academy, Jackson's Mill, Jonathan Arnold, Jonathan Jackson, Julia Beckwith Neale Jackson Woodson, Laura Ann jackson, Lewis County, Lincoln County Feud, log cabin, Mary Conrad, Mexican War, Native American History, Native Americans, New Jersey, Pelican Publishing Company, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Revolutionary War, Rutherford B. Hayes, Stonewall Jackson, U.S. Military Academy, Union Army, Virginia Military Institute, West Point, West Virginia, West Virginia 4-H Camp, West Virginia University Archives, William McKinley, William Rohrbough

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Years ago, I attended Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Academy (10th grade) and the American Legion Mountaineer Boys State (11th grade) here at Jackson’s Mill in Lewis County, WV. 29 August 2015. Photo by Mom.

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Jackson’s Mill is the boyhood home of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. 29 August 2015.

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Jackson’s Mill. Original owned by West Virginia University Archives.

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Jackson’s Mill Historic Area Map. 29 August 2015.

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Mary Conrad Cabin/The General’s Store. William Rohrbough constructed the front in 1845; George Conrad constructed the back after 1855. 29 August 2015.

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Mary Conrad Cabin/The General’s Store. Future U.S. presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley reportedly visited the cabin at its original location. 29 August 2015.

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Mary Conrad Cabin/The General’s Store. Dove tail notching. 29 August 2015.

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Mary Conrad Cabin/The General’s Store. Love the dogtrot feature! 29 August 2015.

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Mary Conrad Cabin/The General’s Store. BOOK MEETS LOG CABIN. I enjoy seeing the book with logs. 29 August 2015.

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McWhorter Cabin. Built after 1793 by Revolutionary War veteran Henry McWhorter of New Jersey, this 18′ X 24′ cabin offers an internal chimney as protection from attacks by Native Americans. It was used as a home, church, school, and post office. 29 August 2015.

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McWhorter Cabin. Note the square notching. 29 August 2015.

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McWhorter Cabin. 1793 pioneer cabin meets 1889 feud history. 29 August 2015. Photo by Mom.

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Jackson’s Mill. 29 August 2015.

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Jackson’s Mill, 1837. 29 August 2015.

Museum and Log Cabin at Breaks Interstate Park in Breaks, VA (2018)

17 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Civil War, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, Native American History, Timber

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Tags

Appalachia, Battle of Middle Creek, Brandon Kirk, Breaks, Breaks Canyon, Breaks Interstate Park, civil war, fossils, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, history, James A Garfield, Kentucky, Marion, moonshine, moonshining, Native American History, Native Americans, photos, Phyllis Kirk, rafting, Saltville, Union Army, Virginia

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Video showcasing regional history. 25 August 2018.

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Hammerstone and Polishing Stone. 25 August 2018.

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Fully Grooved Axe. 25 August 2018.

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Lt. James A. Garfield, Union hero at the Battle of Middle Creek, KY. 25 August 2018.

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Rafting through Breaks Canyon, c.1885. 25 August 2018.

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This photo is labeled: “A Confrontation Between the Hatfields and the McCoys.”

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Moonshine still. 25 August 2018.

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Seed fern fossil, 305 million years old. 25 August 2018.

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Native wildlife. 25 August 2018.

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Log cabin. 25 August 2018.

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Log cabin. 25 August 2018.

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Log cabin. 25 August 2018.

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Log cabin. 25 August 2018.

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Log cabin. 25 August 2018.

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Mom at the cabin. 25 August 2018.

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Moonshine still showing cap, thumping keg, and worm. 25 August 2018.

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Salt kettle cast at Marion, VA, about 1860 and buried to conceal it from Union troops at Saltville, VA, in 1864. 25 August 2018.

James P. Mullins Grave and the K.S. Colley Cemetery in Breaks, VA (2018)

11 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Cemeteries, Lincoln County Feud

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Appalachia, Big Branch, Big Harts Creek, Brandon Kirk, Breaks, Dickenson County, feuds, genealogy, history, James P. Mullins, K.S. Colley Cemetery, K.S. Colley Cemetery Road, King Solomon Colley, King Solomon Colley Road, Lincoln County, Lincoln County Feud, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Virginia, West Virginia

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View of K.S. Colley Cemetery Road from the K.S. Colley Cemetery in Breaks, Dickenson County, VA. 25 August 2018.

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K.S. Colley Cemetery. 25 August 2018.

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James P. Mullins, once a merchant at Big Branch of Harts Creek in Lincoln County, WV, was involved in the Lincoln County Feud. Photo by Mom. 25 August 2018.

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View of the cemetery from K.S. Colley Cemetery Road. 25 August 2018.

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The K.S. Colley Cemetery is located near the Dickenson-Buchanan county line. 25 August 2018.

Greenbrier Ghost (2018)

31 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Women's History

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, Edward Shue, genealogy, ghosts, Greenbrier County, Greenbrier Ghost, history, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Sam Black Church, West Virginia, Zona Heaster Shue

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Greenbrier Ghost historical marker, Sam Black Church, Greenbrier County, WV. 8 July 2018. Photo by Mom. For more about the murder, follow this link: http://www.wvculture.org/history/crime/shuearticles.html

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The Greenbrier Ghost’s grave is located several miles away from the historical marker. 8 July 2018. Photo by Mom. For more about the grave, follow this link: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5015852/zona-shue

Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival at Matewan, WV (2018)

22 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Coal, Hatfield-McCoy Feud, Lincoln County Feud, Matewan

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Appalachia, art, Blood in West Virginia, Bob Hatfield, Brandon Kirk, Buskirk and Hamilton, Devil Anse Hatfield, Green McCoy, Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival, history, Kentucky, Lincoln County Feud, Lisha Breeding, Louisa Mullins, Matewan, Matewan Depot, Mine Wars, Mingo County, Norfolk and Southern Railroad, Phyllis Kirk, Pike County, Randy Marcum, Sid Hatfield, Thacker, West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History

On June 15-16, 2018, the town of Matewan, WV, hosted the Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival. Matewan Depot hosted us for a book event. THANK YOU, Matewan Depot!

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Matewan Depot is a must-see destination! NOTE: For more information about the town and depot, please follow this link: http://www.historicmatewan.com/

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Here is a photo of our revamped Lincoln County Feud display at the Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival. Green McCoy, a Pike County (Ky.) McCoy, participated in the Lincoln feud; Bob Hatfield, son of Anse, married Louisa Mullins, a Lincoln feudist. 15 June 2018.

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Green McCoy’s great-niece Lisha Breeding made my day when she visited the Lincoln County Feud exhibit. 16 June 2018. Photo by Mom.

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We met nice people and sold copies of the book at the Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival. All proceeds were donated to the depot, which I greatly SUPPORT — it’s a significant asset that promotes regional history and tourism. 16 June 2018. Photo by Randy Marcum.

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The Matewan Depot features a free museum. The museum offers historical items related to town history, the Hatfield-McCoy Feud, the Norfolk & Southern Railroad, and the Mine Wars. 15 June 2018.

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Sid Hatfield gun with accompanying documentation. 15 June 2018.

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The West Virginia Division of Culture and History showcased a Hatfield-McCoy exhibit at the Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival. 16 June 2018.

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Some of the many artifacts located inside of the Matewan Depot. 16 June 2018.

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The depot features a worthy selection of books and other items related to regional history and culture. This photo shows a sample of books: t-shirts, stickers, videos, art, and many other items can also be found here. If you visit, be sure to take a peak at my book, “Blood in West Virginia: Brumfield v. McCoy.” May 2018.

Melvin and Susan (Thompson) Kirk Homeplace (2018)

28 Monday May 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Cemeteries, Halcyon, Lincoln County Feud, Timber

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Tags

Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, Elizabeth Kirk, Floyd Caldwell, genealogy, Halcyon, Harts Creek, history, Hog Hollow, Kentucky, Lawrence County, Lincoln County, Lincoln County Feud, Logan County, Martin County, Melvin Kirk, Melvin Kirk Family Cemetery, photos, Phyllis Kirk, Piney Fork, Thomas Kirk, West Fork, West Virginia

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Melvin and Susan (Thompson) Kirk Homeplace, Piney Fork of West Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. 24 May 2018. Melvin and Susan are my great-great-grandparents.

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Kirk Homeplace sign, Piney Fork of West Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. 24 May 2018. Melvin was born in 1862 to Thomas and Elizabeth “Betty” (Maynard) Kirk and was partly raised in Lawrence (later Martin) County, KY. To see Melvin with his father in the 1870 Lawrence County, KY, Census, follow this link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D8S9-4LS?i=7&cc=1438024 

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Kirk Cemetery sign, Piney Fork of West Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. 24 May 2018. Melvin followed his mother to Piney before 1880. To see Melvin in the 1880 Lincoln County Census, follow this link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB2-9WFZ?cc=1417683 

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Heading up to the cemetery. 24 May 2018. Melvin was a powerful left-handed timberman. In 1888, he bought a 35-acre farm from Floyd Caldwell.

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Kirk Cemetery Statue, Kirk Cemetery, Piney Fork of West Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. 24 May 2018. Melvin played an important role in the Lincoln County Feud. https://www.amazon.com/Blood-West-Virginia-Brumfield-McCoy/dp/1455619183 

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Melvin Kirk grave, Kirk Cemetery. 24 May 2018. Photo by Mom. Melvin’s property was assessed in Lincoln County until 1897, when it transferred to Logan County. To see Melvin in the 1900 Logan County Census, follow this link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-68V3-C77?i=31&cc=1325221 

Dingess Petroglyphs (2018)

15 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Dingess, Native American History

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Appalachia, Brandon Kirk, Dingess, Dingess Petroglyphs, history, Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area, Mingo County, Native American History, Native Americans, petroglyphs, photos, Phyllis Kirk, West Virginia

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Dingess Petroglyphs, Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area, Dingess, WV. 10 March 2018.

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Dingess Petroglyphs, Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area, Dingess, WV. 10 March 2018.

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Dingess Petroglyphs, Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area, Dingess, WV. 10 March 2018. Photo by Mom.

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Dingess Petroglyphs, Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area, Dingess, WV. 10 March 2018.

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Feud Poll 1

If you had lived in the Harts Creek community during the 1880s, to which faction of feudists might you have given your loyalty?

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Feud Poll 2

Do you think Milt Haley and Green McCoy committed the ambush on Al and Hollene Brumfield in 1889?

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Who do you think organized the ambush of Al and Hollene Brumfield in 1889?

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What do you think caused Ed Haley to lose his sight when he was three years old?

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