William Nelson Page

William Nelson Page. . William Nelson Page became one of the leading managers and developers of West Virginia's coalfields in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with much of his time being spent here in Ansted. While president of the Gauley Mountain Coal Company, Page and his family lived in a spacious Victorian mansion which still stands near here. , Page was involved in several business ventures around the region including coal and iron. He was the Mayor of Ansted for ten years, a Brigadier Inspector General in the West Virginia National Guard, and the first President of the Ansted National Bank. Additionally, the Fayette County town of Page is named after him. , However, Page is probably most well known for his work with the railroads. In 1896 he started the Loup Creek and Deepwater Railway for logging operations. The Deepwater Railway was incorporated in 1898, with Page serving as president. At the same time, he was named president of the Tidewater Railroad. In 1907 the two merged forming the Virginian Railway which soon gained the title of the "richest little railroad in the world.” Page was the first President of the Virginian. , Stretching from Fayette County to the Virginia coast, there was not a single coal mine along the line as construction began. But soon the coal boom began and by 1933 there were a total of 91 coal mines along the Virginian.