[HATFIELD-MCCOY FEUD]. Photograph of the Hatfield brothers. Circa 1900. Silver gelatin print, 102 x 140 mm, on mount with manuscript caption: “Joe - Troy - Elias / Hatfields, all brothers & sons of old ‘D[evil Anse]’”, few small stains to mount, small loss affecting caption. The Hatfield-McCoy feud is one of the most famous family feuds in American history. It occurred between two rural families, the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky, along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River in the late 19th century. The feud lasted for several decades and is often cited as a symbol of the violence and lawlessness of the American frontier. The origins of the feud are complex and intertwined with various factors such as land disputes, political and economic tensions, and personal vendettas. The conflict escalated into a series of violent clashes, including raids, murders, and retaliatory attacks between the two families. One of the most significant incidents was the New Year’s Night Massacre of 1888 when a group of Hatfields attacked the McCoy family cabin, resulting in the deaths of two McCoy family members. The feud gained national attention and became a symbol of Appalachian hillbilly violence and lawlessness. The legal system eventually intervened, leading to the arrest, trial, and conviction of several individuals from both families. The feud gradually subsided, but the animosity between the Hatfields and McCoys persisted for many years. In the decades following the feud, the story of the Hatfields and McCoys became the subject of numerous books, articles, movies, and television shows, further cementing its place in American folklore and popular culture. As for the armed Hatfield boys in the photo, Troy and Elias were both murdered in 1911 in Fayette County, West Virginia, in a dispute over liquor distribution. Joe later became Republican sheriff of Logan County, West Virginia.