In the post-Civil War period of 1871 to 1900 the newly formed city of Huntington boomed in population and industry. Both immigrants and migrants alike flocked to the growing city which offered not only a fresh start and job opportunities but also educational opportunities such as the local Marshall College. This city’s strategic placement was ideal in that not only was it the halfway point between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but it was also connected to the rest of the country by the growing railroad and the great Ohio River. These factors allowed for businesses of every want and need to develop, from cigar stores to undertakers, from livery stables to confectionaries, from used piano and organ stores to liquor stores. This e-book exhibit by Marshall University’s Special Collections Department highlights 150 of these early businesses.