Sr 49 runs through Matewan.

The Matewan Depot is a museum which has exhibits displaying items related to the Matewan Massacre, the Hatfield & McCoy Feud, the Floods and the Great Flood Wall, the surrounding Coal Camp, Coal Mining and the N&W Railroad. The Battle of Matewan arose from the attempts of the United Mine Workers of America to organize the miners in 1920. When a large number of miners joined the union; the mine owners hired a detective agency to evict the miners from their company owned housing. The police chief of Matewan tried to arrest the head of the agency and in the riotous atmosphere, shots were fired. When the smoke cleared 7 detective, the mayor of the town and 2 miners were dead.