John Nuttall, born in England in 1817, worked in mines from age eleven for most of two decades before coming to America in 1849. After seven years in a silk mill, he saved enough to begin opening coal mines, first in western Pennsylvania with help from his in-laws and then in New River Gorge in 1873 after learning of opportunities there. Nuttallburg became a once-thriving town whose center held industrial facilities while residences spread along the hillside, and the story of the town and its founder reflected a classic American dream of hard work and prosperity. John and Elizabeth Nuttall had three daughters and one son, and the daughters' husbands and their son Lawrence managed and operated the mines, with Lawrence and son-in-law Jackson Taylor coming to New River Gorge while the others remained in Pennsylvania. When John Nuttall died in 1897, his family owned thousands of acres, operated profitable coal mines, and provided livelihood for hundreds of mine workers and their families. After his death, Nuttallburg continued for 61 years until the mine closed in 1958. Lawrence William Nuttall, though active in managing the mines, was especially devoted to plants and became a highly regarded botanist who discovered new species in New River Gorge, including Fraser's sedge. To preserve Nuttallburg's heritage, John Nuttall's descendants conveyed their property there to the National Park Service in 1998, and Nuttallburg was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and is preserved as part of New River Gorge National River.