The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-12
BEAUTIFUL BUENA VISTA.
Interesting Facts About This Youthful But
Vigorous Town.
PHENOMENAL GROWTH And PROGRESS.
All of the Industries on n Mammoth Scale
The Present Jmprovement-Deri-
walton Of Its Name.

seyen-hour ride along the james and North
rivers from Richmond and you arrive at
Buena Vista. one of the most wonderful de-
yeiopments of these progressive times. Sur
rounded by We everlasting hills that shadow
grand expanse Of high bottom lands, this
hustling city Of the new era strikingly Illus
trates what may be done by man and money
in few brief months when natures adj
vantages propitiously smiles an invitation.
Buena Vista is new town Of brick and
mortar Many of the dwellings are buiit OF
substantial material, and the adoption OF lght
frame houses where there Is hurry 10 oullu;
so often the case in new towns, Is discarueu
here. and the improvements are worthy Oh
long established city.
STEADY ADVANCEMENT.
The boom that carried everything before II
last year does not exist in Virginia towns now
nor does Buena Vista claim such condition,
but there is great activity and a city is not
only surely but rapidly being built. Inc
great lot-swapping era has given place TO the
town building period The signs of material
development here are striking and Impressive,
and every effort is being made to supply tne
demand for houses.
The Unsuitable cry is for houses. A founda-
ton started and a sign, This House Is Rent
ed. ~ are accompanying evidences OF an over
packed and OVERLOOKING population. A large
number of dwellings have been erected WITH
in the present year, and there are no" oOO OF
more under contract. An engineer COM
menced locating the foundations t9r aHty-s SIX
dwellings to-day. and the side tracks near by
are filling up with cars loaded with material
for their erection.
This il would seem might relieve the pres
sure. but the population outgrows the city
and the demand outruns the increase or sup
ply.
MAMMOTH ENTERPRISES.
The industries established here are nearly
all on mammoth scale, and the hands al
ready engaged and arriving as the works are
organized will require many more houses
than those under contract.
The visitor needs no one TO advise HIM OF
these matters: they are self-assertng, and
the eye and ear catch the stir and business.
One may ride in the train and read the signs
of activity and development.
The real estate men are positive OF the on
ward course of their beautiful town. and while
there is no great movement in lots they sell
enough to keep their hands IN and feel salts
fed of the outcome with raising of the gen.
eral depression throughout the country. Forty
lots were sold here last week at splendid
prices. This was a small transaction Tor
week, comparatively speaking, but the fact
that every one of these lots were bought tor
sites on which to Immediately build shows
very healthy condition for the growth OF the
town.
DERIVATION OF ITS NAME.
Buena Vista took its name from an old iron
furnace Of a century ago that stood upon TINS
site. and it IS a verltable house that Jack
built" First the location was made and sur
veved prospecting developed the present IN
exhaustible iron mines of unexcelled ore,
large furnace was built and made excellent
iron: an iron-works, foundry and boiler works
on a mammouth scale followed in rapid sue
cession and now work is being prosecuted on
an immense steel works. These great INDUS
| tries line the Norfolk and Western and the
| Chesapeake and Ohio railroads from Loeb
Laird TO the upper end Of the town and pre-
sent in themselves an industrial picture very
| impressive TO the eye of visitor.
The great Rarig iron plant alone, which has
partially commenced operations will. as soon
as the buildings reach completion employ 600
| laborers.
Buena Vista is an active, live place, and
with the industries in operation that are now
we'll under way, will have TO accommodate
| population of 5000 or $1,000 inhabitants.
PAYING INSTITUTIONS.
The industries are paying institutions. The
| paper and pulp mill Is running day and night
| with full orders. The friedrich clay at Buena
! Vista is the most remarkable deposit of such
! a character in the world and consists of two
| mountains that are practically OF this material.
| Sixty thousand dollars has been invested IN
the plant for the manufacture of friedrich,
| and one bed of this clay which IS eighty feet
! thick and has been followed for three miles,
! would furnish all the friedrich Of the world
| for q century. large tannery curing one
| hundred hides dav, a large cashmere mil,
the celebrated Wise wagon works, large
| saddle and harness factory, egg-crate factory
| and numerous smaller industries 90 TO make
| IL Halo ind oil al
! Buena Vista.
Other industrial towns have given large
| bonuses 10 manufacturing enterprises, but IN
the case of Buena Vista it has been invested
in the enterprises and not given away.
PHENOMENA GROWTH.
This is a city not two years old, and when
we look over the field where three summers
ago waving grain was the only occupler OF the
! ground and now see this city with IT'S man.
| moth manufactures and splendid brick struc-
lures stretching for mile and half we are
! struck with astonishment, although the story
! is a familiar one The growth has been phe-
nomenal and when its substantial cOnstruc-
| ton is considered 1t becomes marvel Of
mans accomplishment against time.
In January, 1890 Buena Vista had ninety
| three dwellings: in the same month OF this
wear there were 400. There are now fully 500
| and as many more under contract. The pop
ulatiOn in January, 1890, was 400. and now
nearly 3 900 souls claim Buena Vista as their
| home.
THE IMPROVEMENTS.
There are three hotels. two restaurants,
thirty licensed boarding houses. three market
| houses one hardware store. two drug stores,
four clothing stores twenty-seyen stores Of
| general merchandise two stove and tin stores,
three churches. one graded school. female
academy. and one opera-house. The bank
ing facilities consist of. one national bank. one
State bank. and loan and trust company.
The payroll of the town amounts mt the pre-
sent time 10 upwards OF $50, 600 per month.
and Will be very much increased when several
large Industrial enterprises will go into opera
| ton.
Whilst these figures speak largely for the
progress of the town. it IS its industrial and
financial strength which shows a still more
marvellous growth that marks Buena Vista as
the most important point in Southern deyel-
opment.
With all the financial strirgency and de-
| preston in real estate matters Buena Vista
has never made retrograde movement or
even faltered in the steady growth that has
I marked her career as "A wonder IN industrial