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Henry Clay Frick: A Robber Baron

Henry Clay Frick: A Robber Baron

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Henry Clay Frick was labeled as a robber baron. Frick was born to a farming family in western Pennsylvania and received little formal education (Encyclopedia of World Biography). His grandfather was a wealthy miller and distiller and Frick became bookkeeper for his grandfather's businesses at age 19 (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
Frick was knowledgeable of the potential value of coking coal deposits for the developing steel industry (YourDictionary). With financial help from relatives and the Pittsburgh banker Thomas Mellon, he began acquiring coal lands in the Connellsville region and building coke ovens (YourDictionary). The enterprise produced considerable returns and Frick utilized all profits into acquiring more coal land and producing

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