Appalachia’s Iron Lady: The Story of Nannie Kelly Wright

Nannie Kelly Wright ran an iron furnace at a time when most women weren’t even allowed near one. Born in Kentucky, raised on the Ohio River, and later married into the iron industry, Nannie became one of the few women in American history to manage a furnace operation herself — traveling weekly, overseeing workers, and building a fortune.

Once rumored to be the richest woman in the world after Queen Victoria, she was also presented at the Court of St. James, backed Teddy Roosevelt’s trust-busting policies, and made headlines with a divorce scandal where her husband asked for alimony.

Join us as we tell the story of Nannie Kelly Wright, Appalachia’s Iron Lady.