Site of Randolph McCoy House

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Historical Marker #2062 is at the site of the original Randolph McCoy home on Blackberry Creek, which was burned on January 1, 1888, during a Hatfield raid. Randolph and his wife Sarah subsequently moved to Pikeville where he operated a ferry.

The Hatfields’ raid on the home of the McCoy family patriarch, “Old Ranel” during the early hours of New Year’s Day stemmed from the efforts of the Kentucky state government to extradite members of the Hatfield clan for their alleged roles in the pawpaw incident of 1883 (covered by marker #2047). Not only did the Hatfield crew burn the McCoy home, they also stuck around to shoot and attack the McCoys as they fled the flames. The attack was organized by “Cap” Hatfield, a son of William “Devil Anse.” Two of “Old Ranel’s” children died in the raid and his wife “Aunt Sally” was beaten senseless as she tried to reach one of her injured daughters. “Old Ranel” hid in a pigpen and survived. This attack eventually formed the much of the basis for the legal proceedings in which eight members of the Hatfield clan were convicted of murder and one was hanged (covered by markers #1866 and #1913).

Historical Marker #2062 was dedicated on June 10, 2001 through the efforts of Pikeville-Pike County Tourism.The marker reads:

Site of Randolph McCoy House
House was located on Blackberry Fork of Pond Creek. It burned Jan. 1, 1888, during a Hatfield raid. Two of Randolph's children, Alifair and Calvin, were killed in attack; their mother Sally was badly injured. Randolph and other children escaped. Site is part of Hatfield-McCoy Feud Historic Dist.
Presented by Pikeville-Pike County Tourism.