West Virginia Its Farms and Forests, Mines and Oil-Wells

About this book

West Virginia: Its Farms and Forests, Mines and Oil-Wells celebrates the state of West Virginia. Originally published in 1865 as a series of studies on mineral resources, observations on agriculture, and interviews with businessmen, West Virginia details the industrial statistics, terrain, and population of a state during its infancy. With no record of natural wealth or reported transactions of agriculture or geography prior to this overview, West Virginia sparked the curiosity of non-residents, enticing investment and settlement through descriptions of abundant natural resources and an agreeable industrial condition. With an introduction by Kenneth R. Bailey, this new edition reminds us of the state's alluring beginning and rich, yet often exploited development.

Contents

    INTRODUCTION
    PREFACE
    CHAPTER I
    west virginia.—cradled in convulsion.—a sturdy race.—old jealousies.— reorganization.—new laws.—finances.—her boys in blue
    CHAPTER II
    original settlement.—where virginians emigrate.—tobaccoand the blue laws.—lands.—the “tomahawk right.”—how thepioneers lived.—getting married.—progress.—population.
    CHAPTER III
    location.—value of lands.—stock growing.—fertility.—no waste areas.— comparison with maryland, minnesota, andnew hampshire.
    CHAPTER IV
    climate.—altitude.—temperature.—rain-fall.—salubrity.—scenery.
    CHAPTER V
    topography and statistics of counties.—the valley group.
    CHAPTER VI
    survey of counties continued.—the mountain group.
    CHAPTER VII
    survey of counties continued.—the “panhandle.”
    CHAPTER VIII
    survey of counties continued.—the river district.
    CHAPTER IX
    survey of counties continued.—the kanawha valley.
    CHAPTER X
    survey of counties continued.—the southern group.
    CHAPTER XI
    survey of counties continued.—the central group.
    CHAPTER XII
    statistics of production.
    CHAPTER XIII
    internal improvement.—roads and turnpikes.—slackwaternavigation.—ohio and chesapeake canal.—baltimore and ohio railroad.—other railroads.
    CHAPTER XIV
    mineral wealth.—coal.
    CHAPTER XV
    iron. — salt.—limestone.—other minerals.
    CHAPTER XVI
    petroleum.—its wide distribution.—discovery in west virginia.
    CHAPTER XVII
    how originated.—popular and unpopular theories.
    CHAPTER XVIII
    where found.—how to find it.
    CHAPTER XIX
    uses.—quantity used.
    CHAPTER XX
    well boring.—oil distillation.—refining.
    CHAPTER XXI
    the era of oil wells.—the burning springs district.—the little kanawha.
    CHAPTER XXII
    the hughes’ river region.—oil run of goose creek.—horseneck and cow creek.
    CHAPTER XXIII
    the central and northern oil region.
    CHAPTER XXIV
    the great kanawha oil basin.—the valleys of the guyandotte and big sandy.
    CHAPTER XXV
    petroleum companies of west virginia.
    CHAPTER XXVI
    petroleum prospects.

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Biography

Jacob Richards Dodge (1823-1902) was born in New Boston, New Hampshire, USA. He was the first statistician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When he began his work he had one clerk and when he retired in 1893, there were sixty. He became known for his ability in gathering and presenting statistics. The government sent him on two trips to Europe to observe how other countries gathered data and to share his knowledge. He was given responsibility for compiling agricultural statistics for the Tenth Census in 1880 and in 1889 he was recognized by the international community of statisticians when he received a gold medal at the Paris Exposition for his illustrations of agricultural statistics. After retiring, Dodge became an editor of the Country Gentleman and wrote numerous articles and books. He died at age eighty at Nashua, New Hampshire.

Kenneth R. Bailey is Professor Emeritus at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, USA where he served as Dean of the College of Business, Humanities and Sciences.