HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7
(By Delegates H. White and Kominar)



Supporting the efforts of the Town of Matewan to obtain National Park status for the Matewan National Historic Landmark District.
Whereas, Matewan, West Virginia is a small town nestled in the Tug River Valley, rich in its history of coal mining and ties to its past through the legacies of the infamous Hatfield & McCoy Feud and the Matewan Massacre, both of which furthers the folklore and history of the State of West Virginia; and
Whereas, The Battle of Matewan Study Act which directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special study of the sites and resources at Matewan, West Virginia to determine if these areas are suitable for designation in the National Park System; and
Whereas, United States Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller and United States Congressman Nick Rahall worked diligently to pass America's Historical and Natural Legacy Study Act which appropriated funds for the Battle of Matewan Study Act; and
Whereas, Matewan, West Virginia will be greatly enriched by federal funding and see more tourism by a designation as a National Park.
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature of the State of West Virginia supports the efforts of the Town of Matewan to obtain National Park status for the Matewan National Historic Landmark District.
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is hereby requested to forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce President, Rod Smith, the mayor of the Town of Matewan, Sheila Kessler, and the members of the West Virginia Congressional delegation.