This scholarly study identifies several reasons behind Owsley County's ongoing struggle with poverty, including the county's lack of natural resources, a poor transportation system, and a centralized socio-political power structure controlled by the entrenched elite. Finally, the author asserts that Owsley County's economic hardships are far from unique, but rather are representative of a significant number of similarly-stricken Appalachian counties and towns. Several tables and appendices provide useful demographic, legislative, and agricultural data from Owsley County between 1844 and 1975.