"Established in 1809, Cabell County is located in West Virginia's Mid-Ohio Valley. When rail tycoon Collis P. Huntington pushed the tracks of his Chesapeake & Ohio Railway across the mountains from Virginia into Cabell County, he founded the town that would become the county's great metropolitan center. Business and industry soon began to rise, and Cabell grew into one of the Mountain State's busiest, most populous regions. This dramatic history of Cabell County begins with the arrival of the area's first settlers and continues into the 21st century. Introduced are James Holderby, Peter Cline Buffington, John Hunt Oley, and the other venturesome souls who set in motion the forces that made Cabell County the thriving place it is today. An informative text and 200 vintage photographs recreate key historical events, including the day when the James Gang robbed the Bank of Huntington, the sagas of Barboursville and Milton, the early days of Marshall University and its spectacular growth and success, and the strange but true story behind the creation of Ritter Park. Readers also gain a feel for life in past eras as they witness the paddlewheelers that plied yesterday's Ohio River and the steam locomotives that chugged their way through the county's history."...back cover