The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-31
S T A u N T o N
A Review of the City and its In
dustries.
THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
Railways, Banks, Insurance Companies,
and Factories.
The Mercantile Interests Comments
Upon Business Houses.
The whole constituting an Exhibit I'm
which pains have been taken
to give nothing but facts.

In the preparation Of this double-sheet
the VALLEY VIRGINIAN has been &C.
tuated by the desire to accomplish real
and lasting good for the city of Staunton
In the preparation of the work We have
been kindly assisted by every one upon
whom we have called for information,
and to each and all hearty thanks are
returned for the help extended and the
good wishes expressed.
At the outset we knew that the work
promised to be of difficult character
now that it is finished we realize that it
is far from complete there are many
other interests, both of general and indi-
vidual character, to which we should
like to refer, but mention of them is ne
cessarily postponed until another time.
With this preface we turn directly to a
brief consideration of
THE CITY OF STAUNTON,
which has so pertinently been christened
"the energetic and fourishing little city
of the hills" We can do no better
than to quote literally from the enter
tanning pamphlet written by Maj. Jed.
Hotchkiss, of this city, which was pub
lished in 1873. In that pamphlet he has
succinctly and forcibly portrayed the adj
vantages, attractions and resources of
the city and its surroundings. He says:
!" The location of Staunton is in latitude
$50 oo' north, and longitude 7e0 o. II"
west from Greenwich. The altitude or
height above the sea level of different
portions of the city varies from 1900 to
1900 feet, making its average altitude
I,45o feet, and giving it the tempera-
ture of about 49, north, that of the lati-
tude of Boston, Albany, Rochester, Buff
falo and Chicago, but not their general
climate. Its situation is near the mid
die of an elevated, plateau-like, lime
stone valley, here some IS miles wide,
sloping not far from rs feet to the mile,
rapidly enough to secure the best drain
age, to the northeast and to the south
east, between continuous mountain
chains, the Blue Ridge on the south |
east and the Kitatinny or North noun
tains on the northwest. The general
surface of the country at and around the
city is that of rolling plain varied by
stream valleys and rounded hills and
low ridges, but everywhere open and
commanding wide stretches of charm
ing picturesque valley landscapes
bounded by distant mountain chains
bold in relief and beautiful in outline and
color. Many of the residences ofStaun-
ton overlook these pleasant features and
some of them command fifty miles or
more of the length of the wide valley and
its bordering mountains.
THE SITE
OF Stanton was occupied soon after the |
settlement of the Valley in consequence
of its central position, numerous bold |
perennial springs, and excellent water
power. m 1898, when the county Of
Augusta was organized, embracing all |
the territory of the Blue Ridge west
ward-the region that is now the States |
ofWest Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, In
diana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas,
etc.,-this hamlet became its county |
seat and the capital of what is now a !
dozen great States of the Union. In |
I748 it was laid off, with streets running
north and south and east and west,
main or Beverly in the latter direction)
as town. In 1871 the "town of Staun
ton" was granted new charter as the |
Getty of Staunton," and under that its
present government was organized the
same year.
THE CLIMATE OF STANTON
and its vicinity is conceded to be one of
the most agreeable and healthful in the
whole country and one most admirably |
adapted to work of every kind, being
equally remote from the extremes Of
heat and cold that characterize places in
the northern and southern portion of the
Union, and sheltered by great mountain
ranges from the storms that so often
pass up and down the Atlantic coast on
The one hand and the valley of the Mis-
sissippi on the other" This climate, as
per good authority, is dry, mild, and
favorable for out-oi-door work during
nearly the entire year. Statistics album
iantly prove it to be an exceedingly
1eqlthy climate.
WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS CONCEDED
Nv all who have visited Staunton of late
years that a more charming city of its
,fze is not to be found in the country.
wealth centers here; the
society is of the best the religious and
educational advantages are nowhere
There is, too, a disposition
manifested by the community to further
which promise to promote
he public good. Being the natural
rade centre of a rich farming country a
arge mercantile interest has been de-
and our merchants, as a rule,
ire worthy being designated as enter
,rising business men. Of late a very
CONSIDERABLE Who'll ESALE TRADE
las been built up, and our jobbers are
eaching out into remote sections, en-,
ering into active rivalry with the larger r
tiles.
The grain and kindred lines of trades
ave developed wonderfully, too, and
lsewhere we allude more in detail to
hese branches ofindustry. The whole
ale sales ofdrugs, groceries, -four, whis-
", tobacco, &c, reach large sum
whisky business is espec-
ally large. There are eight distileries
, Augusta county, having total mash
apacity of $50 bushels. The total pro-
uction is S75 gallons per day of
straight two stamp-whisky," and the
is continued for ten months 5
ach year. All, or nearly all of this
roduct finds its way to market through !;
houses. i
MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS
re few in number. Upon other pages {
this double-sheet we have made men I
on of the factories of one kind and an i
Their that are in successful prosecution
ere, but the list, after all, is beggarly /
ne and certainly does not rebound to '