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Industrialists: Creating a "Magic City" in Appalachia:
Inspired by stories of hidden wealth in the Cumberlands, Alexander Arthur, an English industrialist, came to Kentucky in 1885 to seek his fortune. Seeing commercial potential in the area of Cumberland Gap, he "set his mind, heart and hands to the laying of plans and carrying out projects which eventually brought Middlesborough to the front as the Magic City." Until 1893 Middlesboro and its inhabitants enjoyed a bustling commerce and lavish social entertainments. It all came to a halt when the English banks that financed this rapid development collapsed. |