Western Maryland Railway in West Virginia: The Photographs of G. H. Broadwater

At the end of the 19th century, the mountains of eastern and central West Virginia were penetrated from the north by new railroads. This opened up a vast area of virgin forest to the axe and saw of the lumberman. Later, valuable coalfields were discovered beneath the forests. The development of the region was in full swing by the first decades of the 20th century, when a photographer, G. H. Broadwater of Thomas, West Virginia, traveled the Western Maryland Railway and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad photographing the new industries and towns. Broadwater was unusual for his day; as he specialized in photographing the mills, mines, lumber camps, towns, railroads and workers of the region. Broadwater took over 2,000 pictures between about 1906 and 1912, most of which were published as post cards. It is a segment of Broadwater’s vast output of pictures which is reproduced in this book. Broadwater’s photographs give a vivid insight into the early development of West Virginia’s industries and also into a fascinating period in the State’s history.