Coal Towns of West Virginia

"In the late 19th century, the advent of coal mining on a large scale changed the face of the West Virginia mountains forever." So begins Mary Legg Stevensons’ latest book, Coal Towns of West Virginia. A native of the West Virginia coalfields, Stevenson has compiled a marvelous group of historical photographs, which document the history and ways of life of many West Virginia coal camps. Back when "Coal was King," new towns sprang up, and fortunes were earned almost overnight. Almost as quickly, many of the mines closed down and the towns either disappeared without a trace or became ghost towns. In Coal Towns, Stephenson preserves the memory of an era that no longer exists, but which indelibly shaped the state of West Virginia.