The business of the Graves family was really an empire of various tourist businesses surrounding the Luray Caverns – the largest privately held cave system and tourism hotspot since the late 1800s. The family business apparently had been on a downward slope for some time. To make matters worse, this four-generation family business has been in and out of litigation for the last ten years. In the end, not only has this discord threatened the family fortune and the business that built it, but the entire town associated with the family and the business.
More than a sad tale, this case is an object lesson for other family businesses and the original article is worth reading.