Charleston, West Virginia, became a center of government, industry, and commerce after 1885, as people flocked to the city for work, shopping, and entertainment. Though much has changed over the years, Charleston�s past still matters. A respect for history binds together current and future residents.
Author Billy Joe Peyton is a professional historian who grew up on Charleston�s West Side and now lives on the East End. His vision of old Charleston is for natives, who fondly recall it, as well as for area newcomers and those too young to remember.