Mingo County, West Virginia    Biography of Valentine HATFIELD

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Submitted by Valerie Crook, <vfcrook@trellis.net>, April 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 65

VALENTINE HATFIELD. A leading representative of the
coal mining industry in Mingo County is found in the per-
son of Valentine Hatfield, a man of extended and varied
experience who is looking after the land and timber holdings
of the United Thacker Coal Company, and likewise known
as a prominent and influential citizen of Burch, also known
as Rockhouse. Mr. Hatfield was born in what is now
Mingo County, but then Logan County, West Virginia, in
April, 1868, a son of Ellison and Sarah Ann (Staten) Hat-
field, and a member of an old and honored family of
Virginia.

Ellison Hatfield, a native of Virginia, as was his wife,
fought valiantly as a private in an infantry regiment of
Virginians during the war between the North and South, his
commanding general being Robert E. Lee. With the fall of
the Confederacy and the subsequent cessation of hostilities
he returned to his home, bearing the marks of six wounds
on his body and also with a record for faithful, brave and
loyal service, which included his capture by the enemy at
the battle of Gettysburg. Leaving his native state after
his marriage, he repaired to Logan County, West Virginia,
and there continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits
during the remainder of his life. He was every active in
the work of the Baptist Church and was a man universally
respected and esteemed in his community.

Valentine Hatfield attended the common schools of Mingo
County, but his education was somewhat curtailed, as he was
still a youth when he assumed life's responsibilities on his
own account, being but eighteen years of age at the time
of his marriage. Adopting the calling of his father, that
of an agriculturist, he applied himself assiduously to this
line of activity and became the owner of a goodly property.
Some years ago he became identified with the United
Thacker Coal Company, subsequently acted as their pur-
chasing agent in the acquirement of many of the properties
of this concern, and for the past fifteen years has been
superintending the interests of this concern in this region
in regard to the land and timber requirements of the com-
pany. This company has extensive holdings in the Pigeon
Creek community, where it is known as an important enter-
prise, giving employment to large numbers of men.

In November, 1886, in Mingo County, Mr. Hatfield was
united in marriage with Miss America Hatfield, who, al-
though of the same name and living but eight miles up
Pigeon Creek, belonged to another family, a daughter of
Madison and Nancy (Ferrell) Hatfield. Mr. Hatfield was
an agriculturist and a Confederate veteran of a Virginia
regiment. Eight children were born to this union: Madi-
son, who died May 4, 1906; Joe, an attorney of Williamson,
who married Betta Damron; James Elva, a physician, who
married Helda Fola; Matilda, who married Lon Mahon, a
general merchant of Rockhouse; E. Couse, who married
Pearl Gary; Verdie, who married Thomas Varney, a car-
penter of England, West Virginia; Sarah, who married
G. U. Curry, a carpenter of Burch; and Edna, who married
Charles Osborn, a civil engineer with the United Thacker
Coal Company. Mr. Hatfield, while not being a seeker after
public honors, has been willing to discharge his respon-
sibilities as a citizen, and has served as a justice of the
peace and as a member of the Mingo County Court. He has
an excellent record as a official, a business man and a
citizen, and is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens.