Date of Graduation

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

Committee Chair

John G. Wells

Abstract

Harperís Ferry, West Virginia began its existence as a small settlement in the Northern Neck of colonial Virginia. Originally it was a point of departure for westward expansion, but due to its geographical location, the cultural background of the immigrants who settled there, and technological advancements in transportation, communication and manufacturing, it became a model of industrial development in the nineteenth century. Although it possessed all the factors necessary for continued growth, unwise land management practices, due in part to the Civil War, as well as the consequences of war itself, and technological advancements in steam power, led to the demise of the town.

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