FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 13, 2012) — The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) has put a Winchester model 1892 rifle purportedly owned by William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield on display at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort.
This rifle likely belonged to “Devil Anse” Hatfield, patriarch of the clan famous for their feud with the McCoys. Though Devil Anse probably owned several similar rifles throughout his life, this one has a serial number dated 1903, well after the feud was over. The artifact was donated to the KHS collections in 2008 by Dr. Glenn Marsh and Judy Marsh.
The rifle will be on display at the Center for Kentucky History June 13 through the first week of July. Online visitors can find the rifle on the KHS website by searching “Hatfield.”.
For access to photographs of the Hatfield family, visit KHS on-site at the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library at the Center for Kentucky History, online at the KHS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kyhistsoc or search for “Hatfield” in the online collections at www.history.ky.gov.
An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, established in 1836, is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky’s history. The KHS history campus includes the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Military History Museum at the State Arsenal. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit www.history.ky.gov.
Where is this rifle now?