Originally published in 1892, this combination mug book/gazetteer was the first of its kind on the state of Virginia. The essays on the history, topography, geology, and natural resources of southwest Virginia were written by "well-known scientists and men of letters, and the facts set forth by them, while in some instances astounding, are correct." The biographical sketches are of "honorable men" from all walks of life. "Here will be found instances of men rising, by individual merit alone, from penury and obscurity to wealth and distinction; of many who, in pride and strength of young manhood, left the farm and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and, at their country's call, went forth valiantly to do or die.... Here, also, will be found men whose lives illumine the pages of a nation's history, and whose deeds in war and statesmanship reflect naught but honor upon a noble people - men in whose lives are united the glorious Old South with the unparalleled New."

A History of Monroe County, West Virginia by Oren Morton Frederic, first published in 1916, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.

A close study of one region of Appalachia that experienced economic vitality and strong sectionalism before the Civil War This book examines the construction of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad through southwest Virginia in the 1850s, before the Civil War began. The building and operation of the railroad reoriented the economy of the region toward staple crops and slave labor. Thus, during the secession crisis, southwest Virginia broke with northwestern Virginia and embraced the Confederacy. Ironically, however, it was the railroad that brought waves of Union raiders to the area during the war