Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
West Virginia County
Mingo County, West Virginia
The Matewan Massacre and the Hatfield-McCoy feud's Tug Fork - from the 1920 Matewan Massacre (the May 19, 1920 gunfight in which Police Chief Sid Hatfield and armed miners confronted Baldwin-Felts detective agents attempting to evict miners - 10 people died in the streets of Matewan in one of the most significant confrontations of the West Virginia Mine Wars, leading directly to the Battle of Blair Mountain) to the Hatfield-McCoy Feud's Mingo County theater (the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River - forming the West Virginia-Kentucky border - was the geographic heart of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, with Devil Anse Hatfield's family operating throughout Mingo County) and the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System's ATV network.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Notes: The county maintains a single 24/7 answering point per its comprehensive Enhanced Emergency Telephone System plan under WV Code §7-1-3cc. Mingo County Sheriff’s Department (non-emergency), (304) 235-0300; Williamson Police, (304) 235-2570; Matewan Police, (304) 426-4092.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-119 (Appalachian Corridor G) and US-52 both serve the county, alongside Norfolk Southern rail (successor to the Norfolk & Western Railway that originally spurred the county’s growth)
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Note: Mingo County Airport (FAA LID: 4I0), owned by the Mingo County Airport Authority, is a former public-use airport near Williamson – confirm current operational status directly.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Confirm current county-level permitting jurisdiction directly with the Mingo County Commission, as detailed building permit information was limited in available sources.
Notes: Mingo County Health Department, 101 Logan Street, Suite 201, Williamson, WV 25661, (304) 235-3570, handles related permitting inquiries for some construction-adjacent needs (e.g., septic).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance – veterans.wv.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veteran Service Officer)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with veterans.wv.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Williamson Public Library – Williamson, WV
Services: Houses local history collections, genealogical materials, and microfilmed copies of local newspapers
Notes: Confirm current hours directly with the library.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Mingo County, formed January 30, 1895 from part of Logan County and named for the historic Iroquoian Mingo people, is genuinely WEST VIRGINIA’S NEWEST COUNTY – the only one established after 1871; the county holds profound significance in American labor history as the site of the Matewan Massacre (also called the Battle of Matewan), May 19, 1920, when Police Chief Sid Hatfield and armed local miners confronted Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency agents who were evicting striking miners from company-owned homes, leaving 10 dead; this event, part of the broader West Virginia Mine Wars, directly fed into the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain in neighboring Logan County (the largest armed uprising in America since the Civil War) – within two months of the massacre, over 90% of Mingo County miners had pledged the union oath; both the Matewan Historic District and the related Ludlow Massacre Site are designated National Historic Landmarks; the genuinely unusual Coal House museum in Williamson, at 2nd Avenue and Court Street, is literally built out of coal, a distinctive symbol of the region’s defining industry, also individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the historic Mountaineer Hotel in Williamson is likewise NRHP-listed; the Matewan-Williamson corridor’s identity is inseparably tied to both the Hatfield-McCoy Feud and the Mine Wars
Notes: The Matewan Massacre’s status as a National Historic Landmark event with direct, documented ties to the Battle of Blair Mountain, and the Coal House’s genuine construction from coal, are both real, verifiable, and central to the county’s identity – not embellishment.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Mingo County GIS – accessible via mingocountywv.com
Parcel Search: Mingo County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Mingo County Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Mingo County Animal Control Facility – 451 Lonesome Valley Road, Williamson, WV 25661 | (304) 235-0252
Services: Operated by the Mingo County Commission (a relatively new facility as of 2010, previously relying on a neighboring county’s shelter); dogs must be held 8 days before adoption to allow owners to claim them; interested adopters can apply during this waiting period
Notes: IMPORTANT – the Mingo County Commission does NOT currently have a humane officer on staff; for nuisance dog complaints, contact your local police department (if within a municipality) or the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department (unincorporated areas) directly. A separate small nonprofit, Mingo County Save Our Strays (S.O.S.), operates a no-kill shelter on Deskins Drive at Borderland, WV, off US-119, and has historically needed donation support.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Mingo County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Mingo County is genuinely West Virginia’s newest county and carries profound significance in American labor history through the Matewan Massacre, a National Historic Landmark event directly tied to the broader West Virginia Mine Wars. The county currently lacks a dedicated humane officer, meaning animal nuisance complaints route through general law enforcement instead – worth knowing when directing readers to the right resource. All contact information above was sourced from official county, historical, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Mingo County
Mingo County is West Virginia’s most historically charged coalfield county – the 1920 Matewan Massacre ignited the Mine Wars, and the Tug Fork border was the Hatfield-McCoy feud’s bloodiest theater.
Matewan (population ~500) is where Police Chief Sid Hatfield’s confrontation with Baldwin-Felts detectives on May 19, 1920 killed 10 people and made Hatfield a union hero. His subsequent assassination in 1921 helped trigger the Battle of Blair Mountain. The Matewan Development Center and Matewan National Register Historic District preserve this pivotal history.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trail System – 700+ miles of ATV and off-road trails through the Mingo County coalfield mountains – has become one of West Virginia’s most significant recreation tourism assets.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Mingo County Assessor at 75 E. Second Avenue, Suite 104, Williamson, WV 25661, phone 304-235-0360. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Mingo County Circuit Court at 75 E. Second Avenue, Williamson, WV 25661, phone 304-235-0330, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
75 E 2nd Ave, Williamson, WV 25661
(304) 235-0330
CIRCUIT CLERK
75 E 2nd Ave, Williamson, WV 25661
(304) 235-0330
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mingo County Clerk’s Office, Williamson (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). As the historic setting of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, Mingo County holds unusually well-documented 19th-century family and legal history.
Local societies
No dedicated Mingo County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Mingo County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 75 East 2nd Avenue, Suite 232, Williamson, WV 25661 (304) 235-0320
Mingo County is in Southern West Virginia along the Tug Fork River (Kentucky border), site of the historic Hatfield-McCoy feud, county seat Williamson. West Virginia has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Probate is handled administratively through the COUNTY COMMISSION, via the elected COUNTY CLERK (clerk of the county commission) and that office’s FIDUCIARY SUPERVISOR – not through the Circuit Court, which handles only contested or referred matters.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
West Virginia’s probate framework runs under Chapter 44 of the West Virginia Code, administered locally at the county commission level rather than in a court of record.
West Virginia Small Estate Act (W. Va. Code §44-1A) – available when the decedent’s ENTIRE personal probate estate does not exceed $50,000 in “small assets,” AND the decedent owned no interest in real property at all. As of a July 9, 2025 change in the law, real estate provisions were removed from the Small Estate Act entirely – any estate involving real property, of any value, can no longer use this affidavit process. If the affiant is the nominated personal representative under a will, the affidavit can be filed 30 days after death; otherwise, 60 days must pass. No personal representative may be pending or appointed in any jurisdiction.
Full/Standard Administration – required whenever real property is involved, or the estate exceeds $50,000 in personal property. The executor (with a will) or administrator (without one) qualifies before the County Clerk, receives Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, files an appraisement within 90 days of qualification, and settles the estate through the Fiduciary Supervisor or, for complex or contested matters, a court-appointed Fiduciary Commissioner.
Only if a genuine dispute arises – a will contest, or disagreement over appointment – does the matter go before the County Commission for a hearing, or in some cases the Circuit Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Mingo County Clerk’s Office to qualify.
The Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration; a corporate surety bond is typically required unless waived by the will or by agreement of all beneficiaries (with no debts).
The personal representative files an appraisement of the estate’s assets, generally within 90 days of qualification.
Notice to creditors must be published; once an appraisement is filed, the County Clerk must publish notice within 30 days (or within 120 days of qualification if no appraisement is filed).
The estate is settled through the Fiduciary Supervisor’s review, or referred to a Fiduciary Commissioner if complex or contested, culminating in a final settlement and accounting.
What it costs
Court filing fees to qualify as executor or administrator generally range from about $44 to $56, depending on whether there is a will.
West Virginia sets statutory executor commissions based on estate value: 5% on the first $100,000, 4% on the next $300,000, 3% on the next $400,000, and 2% on amounts above that.
Attorney fees for straightforward estates commonly range from $2,500-$5,000, and $5,000-$10,000+ for complex or contested cases; add bond premiums, newspaper publication fees, and appraisal/recording fees.
West Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to estates above the federal exemption (roughly $15 million for a 2026 death).
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
75 E 2nd Ave, Williamson, WV 25661
(304) 235-0330
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 235-0330
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Mingo County Health Department, 39 English Ave, Williamson, WV 25661
(304) 235-1710
DHHR Office
Mingo County DHHR Office, 39 English Ave, Williamson, WV 25661
(304) 235-4200
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Mingo County Health Department – 101 Logan Street, Suite 201, Williamson, WV 25661 | (304) 235-3570
Notes: WV 211 is the statewide 24/7 information and referral hotline for a broader range of social services.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
