BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — A traveling exhibit outlining one of the most infamous feuds in the country’s history has made its way to United Hospital Center.
Through a partnership through with the hospital and the West Virginia Humanities Council, visitors can learn more about the Hatfields and McCoys in Harrison County.
Crystal Wimer, the Preserve West Virginia AmeriCorps member for the Harrison County Historical Society, said while the feud possibly sparked some of the negative stereotypes of the Mountain State, there is more to learn about the story.
“It’s an interesting study historically about Mountain Justice, about
litigation in Southern West Virginia and cultural things are going on as well. You learn all about that kind of stuff in this exhibit.”
After walking through panels of pictures, timelines from the events and historical quotes from major figures in the story, the exhibit becomes interactive as guests can vote on whether the stereotypes from the feud are deserved.
Through the West Virginia Humanities Council funding, the exhibit has already been to Parkersburg, Charleston and Wheeling, with plans to go elsewhere.
“It’s wonderful they’re able to fund this so that more West Virginians can see this,” Wimer said. “It’s outside of the textbook, which gets people interested. I think it’s a great little project that they do every year.”
This is not the first year an exhibit has come through the hospital.
During the West Virginia Sesquicentennial celebration, the Historical Society brought an exhibit through and that was when the Auxiliary at the hospital learned of the other opportunities to provide a community activity.
“We just really wanted to be able to offer something to the community here besides healthcare,” Denise Steffich, Auxiliary Coordinator at UHC said. “It’s something that’s historical and good for the kids, good for the families to look and read together and learn about.”
Those families won’t be the only ones learning about the story of the Hatfields and McCoys.
“This is my first experience,” Steffich said. “I’m an import. I’m born and raised in West Virginia, although I’ve lived here for 27 years. It’s something that’s also new to me.”
The exhibit will be at UHC for six weeks, until June 24 and is open when the hospital is open.