After the Civil War; Capt. Isaiah Welch; a Doddridge County; West Virginia; native; took a job as a surveyor with Maj. Jed Hotchkiss of Staunton; Virginia. Hotchkiss had served as Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jacksons mapmaker and charted Jacksons famous Valley Campaign; and Welch had been an officer of the 13th Battalion; Virginia Light Artillery. The war left Virginias agrarian economy in ruins; and men like Hotchkiss and Welch worked to develop a new; industrial South. Welch surveyed the Pocahontas Coalfield in 1873; and a city named in his honor emerged in the heart of that great coalfield. Chartered on July 12; 1894; Welch has played a pivotal role in Americas industrial revolution as a support system and supply house to the timber industry and as a coal industry hub. Throughout more than a century; Welch has served as a gateway for the raw materials and manpower that fueled the nations quest for growth and power. The city has been constantly beset by the challenges of maintaining a civilization in West Virginias steepest and most remote mountains; but after decades of being tested by nature; Welch is now on the verge of yet another renaissance.
#751057 in eBooks 2011-05-18 2011-05-18File Name: B0098RCG8K
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. For any fan of classic country. especiall Faron fansBy John LFine biography of The Singing Sheriff by Diane Diekman. The author has crafted a very good read. Well researched and well referenced. I learned much about Faron Young. his mostly unhappy private life.his exuberant successes in the golden age of country/honky tonk music. and his sad departure. To those who have said there was not enough about his music in this book. I respectfully disagree. There is plenty about his music. including all the various sideman who comprised The Deputies. his back up band. over the years. I recommend..1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Faron Young Story: Good readBy RonjgI grew up on country music and love to read about some of the stars I use to listen too. There were two sides of Faron. the generousside and the hot temper side. Im amazed at the lifestyle of some of our big stars. George Jones. Tammy Wynette. Conway Twitty etc. Being a big music star is a tough road to travel. its a hard life.This book on Faron gives you a side of him i never knew about.Im glad i bought the ebook but what i didnt know was that the book has a drm lock on it. If i would have known that i would not havebought the kindle version of it. I wont buy another kindle book with a drm lock on it again. The book was good though.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A Very Comprehensive BiographyBy Michelle P. AndersonI am so glad the author wrote this book about Faron Young. I thought hed been forgotten. His music meant so much to me. but I thought I was the only one who cared.This is a very comprehensive story about Farons life and his ascent and descent in the world of country music.Weaved throughout this story is Farons alcohol addiction. It resonated with me. because my dad was an alcoholic. and some of the tales hit too close to home. Yet. it was consoling. in a way. It brought back memories that Id buried about my own father. and allowed me to relive some painful times that I thought Id long forgotten.Regardless. I was so glad that someone thought enough about Faron and his life and career to put this in book form.He was a major force in country music for many years. and its time he got his due.Thanks again to the author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. and it will be a valuable addition to my collection of country music biographies.
