In the late 1800s and early 1900s, political party names didn’t always mean much because many leaders from both parties shared similar ideas and supporters. They wanted to build West Virginia’s industries. Two powerful men—Henry Gassaway Davis (pictured left), a Democrat, and his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins (pictured right), a Republican—worked closely together in both business and politics. Four governors were even called “Elkins governors”—George W. Atkinson, Albert B. White, William M. O. Dawson, and William E. Glasscock—because of that U.S. senator's strong influence over them. While these leaders brought jobs and money for a time, they also made West Virginia rely heavily on outside businesses.