Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-01
COUNTY AND
ITS COMING GREATNESS
Vast Areas Of Valuable Timber and
II Undevcloped Lands, Rich in Coal
1aGn and Valuable Minerals.

! tUndevcloped Lands Rich in Coal
Hafnt and Valuable Minerals.
GRASSES FOR CATTLE RAISERS
Lack Of Transportation Facilities Re-
tard Development of What Will
Eventually Be One OF the Richest
Counties.
4aA little while before the breaking
out OF the War Between the States.
4s2s squar miles OF territory were
shipped Off the Counties of Tazewoll
and Russell. In Southwest Virginia,
and a new Virginia county was formed.
It was named Buchanan, in honor Of
h gentleman from Pennsylvania who
.fhen occupied the White House in
Washington.
Buchanan Is a border county. having
Kentucky on the west and northwest
AN Mcdowell County, ". Va, on the
northeast and east. II is also a noun
famous county, having mountains on
three sides and spurs of the same
Quitting almost into the center.
n ncfeIOfe, the surface Is rugged ana
very hilly. but in between these noun
tain peaks and high hills there are
valleys OF the richest kind Of land.
The farm products arc varied. con
sisting of corn. wheat. oats. potatoes.
huckwheat. all the grasses much
sorghum and some tobacco. 1t is an
Especially good wheat-growinE county.
: and in recent years the farmowncrs
have been giving more and more at
rtention to the production of this grain.
Z: Along the mountainsides of Buchanan
and in the valleys all kinds OF grasses
from the Indigenous blue grass up TO
tho alfalfa and the clovsrs grow
luxuriantlT and SO !. goes without
saying that II Is q 500 county for
stock raising. as tA- people age BE-
ginning TO md CT. -H;s industry is
growing rapidly as -. ..a-< - BY.
Ind many go = 6scl6s o.
more ago kept c1ir t-c= Sc 20 ;--..
or four cows u s-P-tr =. t=-.ta-s
family with milk els e.,:.- -c- save
herds OF cattle ,ha- -: --lr finnish
milk and butter e. c-:s:. -4s.:<.
but also q great 6eai c: o+:t go: 5cts
It's way to markets eey-15 - e.:5s-<
OF the county.
TIMBER INDUSTRY CONTINUES
TO LEAD ALL OTHERS
Much Of, the ares ot suczara- =
yet covered with valuable t.-o.- s---
as OAK. poplar. ash. Halap. etc go
many years the lumbe. business aEs
been a great industry. tTao-<ao3s
upon thousands OF feet have been -:
every year and carried 70 Cincinnati
and other markets in the rough STATE
by rafting it down the Big SANDY
River to the Ohio, and thence 10 the
markets. Several big lumber on
..panies operate in the county. the most
'oof them with headquarters at Grundy.
-the- county scat. They have tram
roads operated with steam engines to
carry the products Of their immense
plants TO railway lines in West Yir-
sinia. and they do a tremendous bust
mess, employing little armies Of work
men. Besides these tramways, as they
+may be called. a branch of a railway
siine runs down in the county from
kentucky and West Virginia. and
these constitute the transportation
facilities Of the county. The Ciinch
:. Valley division of the Norfolk and
western touches near to the south
fborder in Tazewell COUNTY.
The greatest Importance attached to
the county is its vast wealth in, iron
and coal. and these are attracting
capital and large additions to the
population. They will attract a great
deal more OF both when the county
Gets more railroads.. even when il gets
those now contemplated. and when
those already surveyed shall be built.
GOOD THINGS TO COME
WITH II IRON HORSE
Along the Russell. Louisa and New
Garden RiveEs,-forks OF the Big Sandy.
there are magnificent water powers
that are going 10 waste. These, too.
Will be utilized and vast industries
built up about them when the trans
portation facilities come about. Al
that time. too. the lands that contain
a superior quality OF bituminous coal
In untold quantities will see great de-
velopment. and Buchanan will come
near TO being the biggest coai-produc-
Ing county in Virginia. and may over
top some OF the braE coal counties OF
West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.
The county has fairly good country
roads. some Of them being very good.
and its mail facilities are as good
as those Of any county in the State
with as few miles OF railway. The
telephone wires have penetrated the
county TO the farthest limits. and the
church advantages are as pronounce
es country people could wish. The
educational facilities arc confined to
hrstSiass public schools. The popu-
lation Is about $4,000.
Grumpy. the county scat. is an am
bilious village. situated near the CEN
ter 81 the county, and depends on tho
tramroads ard country highways for
intercourse with the outside world.
Something like $50 people live in the
village proper, and very many more
about the lumber plants nearby.
Several woodworking establishments
and the mills in and near the village
constitute its industrial enterprises
The village has q good location. and
some day, when the railroads come n,
lis SoinG to grow into a commercial
: and industrial town ~ considerable
importance. 1t is the opinion az far
sighted business men ana capitaiists
that the time IL coming when Buch-
anan will De one among the busiest
and richest counties Of the Old Do
minion, and not a few ca pi,aiis,s arc
: Xxi big Investments there hccansn