West Virginia and the Captains of Industry

"When West Virginia was formed in 1863, prevailing opinion held that the new state would become a model of sustained wealth and progress. Fifty years later, as the state celebrated its Jubilee year, West Virginia lagged far behind the rest of the nation in nearly every measure of personal or institutional achievement. Author John A. Williams asks, "What went wrong?" In finding the answer, this book examines those formative fifty years through the lives of four great West Virginians - Johnson N. Camden, Henry G. Davis, Steven B. Elkins, and Nathan B. Scott - whose early influence shaped the story of West Virginia."--BOOK JACKET.