MATEWAN - Long before author and filmmaker John Sayles told the story of the Matewan Massacre, the quaint West Virginia town had seen its place in history set.

Founded in 1897 on the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River Valley, Matewan has seen more than its share of tragedy and history.

In the 1880s, the town survived the Hatfield-McCoy feud, and within a few decades it saw one of the most dramatic incidents in the coal field wars unfold right in its streets, when legendary Matewan Police Chief Sid Hatfield and Mayor Cabell Testerman faced off against hired gunmen from the infamous Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency on May 19, 1920.

The incident happened during a period of great turmoil when UMWA labor organizers were trying to find support among local miners. Some miners who had joined the union found themselves unemployed and informed they would be evicted from their homes.

When the gunmen from the detective agency confronted Testerman and Hatfield, a verbal altercation turned into one of the most famous gunfights of the 20th century, which saw seven of the detectives laying dead in the streets, along with the mayor, two of the miners and one bystander.

"Smilin' Sid" Hatfield, who became famous nationally in the wake of the shootout, can be seen on old newsreels with his custom long-barreled Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector revolvers, did not outlive the other victims of the massacre by too long. He was called to the courthouse in Welch and, along with Ed Chambers, was assassinated by other Baldwin-Felts gunmen. As the two approached the courthouse unarmed, the detectives jumped out from hiding and gunned the two men down in front of their wives on Aug. 1, 1921. This incident led to further unrest and an armed march by miners at Blair Mountain in Logan County.

Today, Mayor Testerman, Chief Hatfield and Ed Chambers are all buried in the Hatfield Cemetery at Buskirk, Ky., close to Matewan.

In the late 1960s, a young writer working in the mines in Mingo County heard the story of the Matewan Massacre firsthand. John Sayles used the incident as a chapter in his later novel, "Union Dues," about a southern West Virginia miner leaving his home and going north to find his son who had joined a group of college radicals.

Sayles returned to the massacre in 1987 when he released his critically acclaimed film "Matewan" which told the story from one chapter in the book "Union Dues."

In 2000, a group of local historical reenactors, led by Matewan Depot restaurant owner Donna May, brought the Matewan Massacre to vivid life during an annual reenactment, usually held on the anniversary of the actual event. Last year, the show drew hundreds into the tiny historic town of Matewan and May is expecting a good crowd this year for the reenactment. Showtimes are scheduled for May 17 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information, contact the Matewan Reenactment Group at (304) 426-6512.