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  • Mountains on the Market: Industry, the Environment, and the South by Randal L. Hall
  • Robert Gudmestad (bio)
Mountains on the Market: Industry, the Environment, and the South. By Randal L. Hall. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2012. Pp. 322. $40.

Randal Hall's new book "delves into the exploitation of natural resources along the upper New River over a 250-year period" (p. 3). In this section of southwestern Virginia, lead mines drew in entrepreneurs, and the resulting development led to a variety of industries, such as railroads and the processing of phosphates. The extractive industries also created an environmental disaster area, led to the displacement of Native Americans, and fueled the oppression of unskilled workers. While the activities along the New River took place in relative isolation, Hall argues that they were emblematic of the whole of American history.

The first white explorers to the region immediately recognized the value of lead. Permanent settlers quickly set up mining companies that extracted lead, iron ore, and copper. The American Revolution and its demand for bullets fueled both great profits and significant risks. While lead commanded a high price and allowed a small group of capitalists to tighten its political and economic control, the mines were also magnets for Loyalist attacks. The environmental assault was so severe that even contemporaries noted how smelting operations consumed a large share of the region's timber.

Technology for the various industries remained fairly stagnant during the nineteenth century, as Hall explains, because the steady supply of water tamped down calls for a switch to steam power. Also, the relatively low price of labor inhibited technological development. On these two points, readers of this journal will probably crave more explanation. Hall's discussion of technological stagnation lacks depth and familiarity with the rich literature surrounding technological diversification.

The American Civil War had an uneven effect on the region. Iron thrived while copper and smelting struggled. What did stay the same, though, was industrial consolidation. Some of the faces changed between 1850 and 1870, but a small group of capitalists still held sway in the region. These proponents of the "New South" used northern capital to expand their operations. Particularly noteworthy was the development of cold-blast furnaces that produced durable steel.

Hydroelectric power came to the region in the twentieth century, as did the production of sulfuric acid, carbide, and zinc. This economic diversification, which received significant boosts during both world wars, led to even more environmental degradation. For example, an Allied Chemical plant ended up on the EPA's superfund list. Although the mines are closed, "the pits still pour about seven tons of sediment into Chestnut Creek each year" (p. 109). [End Page 409]

Perhaps the most interesting chapter deals with deindustrialization. As mills shuttered, the communities along the New River had to reinvent themselves. Interstate 77 provided easy access to the region and allowed a switch to tourism. Promoters stress the bucolic life and opportunities to explore the region's natural beauty. This last appeal is somewhat surprising, as the environmental hangover is still noticeable.

Hall's book is an effective look at the environmental costs of industrialization in southwestern Virginia. He has included seven appendixes that trace the range of technological change in the region. Each entry is a lengthy quote about industrial practices and together they trace technological change in a fairly small area. For instance, Hall includes a description from 1790 of ironworks along Cripple Creek, an 1884 account of iron furnaces, and a report from 1928 that details mining operations. Another strength of the book is its time span; reading a history book that does not stop or start with the Civil War era is refreshing.

Hall's book is limited, however, in its utility for those who study the importance of technology. He confines his analysis primarily to the environmental consequences and is less successful in studying human perceptions of technological change. It is really only in the final chapter where Hall has a sustained analysis of the influences of technology on the workers. And the writing, while adequate, hardly urges the reader to turn the page. That being said, the book will appeal to...

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