{"title":"West Virginia","description":"Discover our collection of local history books on the state of West Virginia.","products":[{"product_id":"ashland-huntington-ironton-and-portsmouth-through-time","title":"Ashland, Huntington, Ironton, and Portsmouth Through Time","description":"River, iron, and rail when intertwined make up a rope that links the tri-state river cities of Huntington, West Virginia; Ashland, Kentucky; Ironton, Ohio; and Portsmouth, Ohio. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Ohio River provided a quicker and convenient way for the pre-industrial settlers in eastern United States to move westward in their unending search for land, riches, and prominence. Iron manufacturing in the Hocking Valley brought jobs and stability that seemed at the time as inexhaustible as the sun itself. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe railroads brought further wealth to the hills and deep valleys where at one time farming had been the major source of income. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHuntington is the largest of the area cities. The population is now approaching 50,000 inhabitants.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/terry-l-baldridge\"\u003eTerry L. Baldridge\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21211069513810,"sku":"9781625450432","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781625450432.jpg?v=1545936562"},{"product_id":"capsule-out-of-time-an-industrial-relic-in-west-virginia","title":"Capsule Out of Time: An Industrial Relic in West Virginia","description":"What can a mostly abandoned town offer its curious visitors? A collection of unusual sights and experiences, especially if it’s the scenic coal-mining town of Iaeger, West Virginia. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart travelogue, part reflection, this book examines the rise and fall of a once-thriving community in the broader context of Appalachian history and American ghost towns. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver 100 photos of vacant houses, storefronts, banks and civic buildings offer portholes into stories of advancing entropy and decomposition, adorned with the fantastical botanies of decaying plastic flowers, sculptures of debris and peeling paint. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey express the author’s wonder at the mix of Iaeger’s preserved stateliness and its showcases of neglect, the mystery of the buildings’ industrious past, and their deserted still-life presence. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMore just than a documentation of a vanishing small town, this book hopes to inspire creative perspectives on decaying historic architecture and its potential for art, science and play.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/julia-solis\"\u003eJulia Solis\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Industrial Heritage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":22033942839378,"sku":"9781634991094","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991094.jpg?v=1553945903"},{"product_id":"exploring-the-abandoned-coal-towns-of-west-virginia-the-southeastern-region","title":"Exploring the Abandoned Coal Towns of West Virginia: The Southeastern Region","description":"The coal industry revolutionized early America, driving the economy for years before oil. What's left unheard of is the struggle of mankind and the sacrifices made to launch our nation into power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExploring the Abandoned Coal Towns of West Virginia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers on a guided tour through West Virginia’s coal towns, spotlighting the struggles and sacrifices of early Americans to lead the way into our world today. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany of these coal towns thrived while others plummeted practically to the ground, but traces can still be seen today. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe cannot forget about those who built the interior of America, whose homes and businesses now lay abandoned like a wrecked ship at the bottom of the ocean.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/christina-paster\"\u003eChristina Paster\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Industrial Heritage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31291049476178,"sku":"9781634991513","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991513.jpg?v=1573864173"},{"product_id":"abandoned-west-virginia-crumbling-vignettes","title":"Abandoned West Virginia: Crumbling Vignettes","description":"\u003cspan\u003eExplore the haunting imagery of Abandoned West Virginia and see a world most will never realize. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWest Virginia grips serious history, and its former life will leave an imprint on one’s soul, as well as force meditations about discontented spirits lurking inside some of its forsaken palaces of misfortune. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTrans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and West Virginia State Penitentiary hold tales of too many tragic scenes played out behind bolted doors and removed from public view. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park still retains silent rusted rides as monuments to its raw past. Harpers Ferry bellows Civil War chronicles with every step on its cobblestone streets. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeek at the pages of derelict homes and wonder about the abandoned memories of its former occupants. We live in a hyper-structured world and faithfully adhere to repetitive patterns of life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur inner explorer, however, constricts with excessive order, and we often view our environment but do not see what is around us. Step into the unfamiliar and discover the legends and lore of West Virginia, and perhaps fathom that some restless spirits might still prowl within their forlorn domains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/cindy-vasko\"\u003eCindy Vasko\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33095005896786,"sku":"9781634992763","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992763.jpg?v=1605032055"},{"product_id":"abandoned-coal-towns-of-southern-west-virginia","title":"Abandoned Coal Towns of Southern West Virginia","description":"Abandoned buildings provide us with a look at the past. Often these structures are all that’s left of the history of a bygone era. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe images within these pages will help tell the story of forgotten coal towns of West Virginia and provide a way for others to explore them before they are demolished or reclaimed by nature. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTake a visual journey through these abandoned towns with photographer Michael Justice. If you’ve ever seen a building and wanted to explore but didn’t have the time or lacked personal safety equipment (these places are dangerous and caution should be used), this book is for you. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile the buildings are abandoned, there are signs of life. No buildings were harmed in the making of this book.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/michael-justice\"\u003eMichael Justice\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39430591971410,"sku":"9781634993104","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993104.jpg?v=1622126566"},{"product_id":"norfolk-southern","title":"Norfolk Southern Railroad: A Rich Railroad Heritage","description":"Although not yet fifty years old, Norfolk Southern boasts a rich heritage which includes many historic and famous names in railroading. The heritage of Norfolk Southern’s predecessor lines can still be viewed trackside today, but time is running out. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnique signal designs, interlocking towers, whistle posts, mile markers, and lineside structures from the individual railroads that make up the modern-day NS system are disappearing rapidly as they have reached the end of their useful service lives and the railroad modernizes its infrastructure. Join photographer, Christopher Esposito, as he explores some of the railroad heritage that makes up the current Norfolk Southern Corp. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the coal fields of West Virginia, the open vistas of the scenic Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, and the quaint farmlands and feed mills of Eastern Pennsylvania, the photographs shown in this book offer a look at the unique character and rich railroad history each state has to offer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/christopher-f-esposito\"\u003eChristopher F. Esposito\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Railways","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40549931155538,"sku":"9781634994729","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634994729.jpg?v=1696172099"},{"product_id":"the-norfolk-southern-christiansburg-district-a-modern-mountain-railroad","title":"The Norfolk Southern Christiansburg District: A Modern Mountain Railroad","description":"\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Norfolk Southern Christiansburg District: A Modern Mountain Railroad\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e takes a close look of Norfolk Southern’s Christiansburg district mainline operation. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe will begin the journey just outside of Roanoke, Virginia’s North yard and work our way west toward the end of the district at the yard in Bluefield, West Virginia. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this 100-mile span we will see many different types of trains tackle the famed Christiansburg grade and the Charleston grade as they head to their final destinations. We will see coal trains rolling back and forth out of the coal fields of West Virginia as they head toward Norfolk, Virginia, for export. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will be intermodal trains speeding east and west moving goods that keep America going. There will also be many other types of trains including freight, grain, and ethanol. These trains will be seen passing through tunnels, soaring over trestles, and meandering around mountains while moving America’s goods back and forth. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere will also be some history mixed in of the towns the trains pass through and even how the current railroad came to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/daniel-alls\"\u003eDaniel Alls\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Railways","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40674510733394,"sku":"9781634994521","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634994521.jpg?v=1705003829"},{"product_id":"a-pictorial-look-at-the-new-york-city-subway-system","title":"A Pictorial Look at the New York City Subway System","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA photographic journey through the storied past and present of the iconic New York City subway system.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile not the nation’s first subway (that honor goes to Boston), the New York City subway is the most well-known. Just the mere mention of the New York City subway will elicit varied opinions and comments from just about everyone—even if they have never set foot in NYC! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom a system that started as three separate and competing transit companies, to the low point of the graffiti era in the 1970s, to the modern, state-of-the-art new technology trains of today—the NYC subway has a storied history. While most people are just riding it to get to and from their destinations, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. From the Bronx to Brooklyn, Manhattan to Queens and everywhere in between, Brooklyn native and photographer, Christopher F. Esposito, takes you on a photographic journey around the historic transit system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/christopher-f-esposito\"\u003eChristopher F. Esposito\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Railways","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42079087427666,"sku":"9781634995344","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634995344.jpg?v=1751111768"},{"product_id":"colorful-norfolk-southern","title":"The Colorful Norfolk Southern","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Norfolk Southern Railway, formed by the merger of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western and Southern Railways in 1982, has been known since its inception for the black and white\/monochrome livery applied to its locomotives.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile both of its predecessors once made use of more colorful hues on their motive power, by the 1970s both roads had turned to black paint, although the Southern also included a horizontal area of off-white in what was termed the “Tuxedo” paint scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2012, the Norfolk Southern, led by its CEO Charles W. “Wick” Moorman, took to heart the suggestion of a young railroad enthusiast and launched the program that created 20 “Heritage” units, which utilized paint schemes from railroads that had formed the two predecessor roads. Some of these were, indeed, colorful. In subsequent years, this group of locomotives was joined by others that have liveries commemorating a variety of entities, which added to the colorful motive power fleet. In addition, it has also become increasingly common for locomotives from other railroads to operate on the NS and vice versa, adding doses of additional color to what otherwise would be rather somber-looking locomotive servicing facilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/george-w-hamlin\"\u003eGeorge W. Hamlin\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Railways","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42093247594578,"sku":"9781634995443","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634995443.jpg?v=1752604714"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.through-time.com\/collections\/west-virginia\/industrial-heritage.oembed","provider":"America Through Time","version":"1.0","type":"link"}