The tour is part of the students’ senior seminar class in criminal justice, which includes the study of a book titled “Baldwin-Felts Detectives.” The book chronicles a gun shootout in Matewan on May 19, 1920, between Baldwin-Felts detectives, local union coal miners, and local law enforcement that left 11 dead, including seven detectives.
The BC students toured not only the massacre site, but also the museum in town dedicated to the history of the Matewan Massacre. The students participating in the field trip included Hallie Elder, Angel Hackney, Bryce Laxton, Kyle Long, Brittney Paynter, and Lindsay Sizemore. They were led by professors Kim Farmer and Kelly Walls.