Editing Buena Vista, Virginia (section)

==History==
Formerly named '''Hart's Bottom''', '''Green Forest''' or '''Green Valley'''<ref name="newsleader">{{cite web| url=http://www.newsleader.com/article/20010409/HISTORY/104090301/Buena-Vista-endures-name-changes-anniversary-dispute-boom-bust-times| title=Buena Vista endures name changes, anniversary dispute, boom and bust times &#124; The News Leader &#124; newsleader.com| publisher=newsleader.com| access-date=2014-10-16| archive-date=June 30, 2013| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630004012/http://www.newsleader.com/article/20010409/HISTORY/104090301/Buena-Vista-endures-name-changes-anniversary-dispute-boom-bust-times| url-status=dead}}</ref> until 1888, and chartered as a town in 1890, Buena Vista separated politically from surrounding [[Rockbridge County, Virginia|Rockbridge County]] when granted a city charter on February 15, 1892.<ref name="buenavistavirginia.org">{{cite web| url=http://www.buenavistavirginia.org/| title=www.buenavistavirginia.org| publisher=buenavistavirginia.org| access-date=2014-10-16}}</ref>

The [[Buena Vista Downtown Historic District]], [[Buena Vista Colored School]], [[Cedar Hill (Buena Vista, Virginia)|Cedar Hill]], [[Glen Maury]], [[Old Courthouse (Buena Vista, Virginia)|Old Courthouse]], [[Southern Seminary Main Building]], and [[W.N. Seay House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

===Early history===
One civil war survey from 1863 lists a half dozen buildings on the site of what is now Buena Vista, including the Paxton and Majors properties and lists both as having mills along the Maury River, then called the “North River“.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1863 |title=Library of Congress online map collection |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/gvhs01.vhs00331/?r=0.725%2C0.232%2C0.087%2C0.127%2C0&st=image |website=United States library of Congress}}</ref> The city itself was founded by Benjamin C. Moomaw in the late 1800s, and originally consisted only of a simple [[tannery]] at the intersection of two railroads and a canal. The [[Richmond and Alleghany Railroad]] and the [[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (1867–90)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]],<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book| title=Virginia, a Hand-book: Giving Its History, Climate, and Mineral Wealth, Its Educational, Agricultural, and Industrial Advantages| author1=Whitehead, T.| author2=Virginia. Dept. of Agriculture| author3=Virginia. Board of Agriculture| date=1893| issue=v. 81-893| publisher=Everett Waddey Company| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MSQzAQAAIAAJ| page=177| access-date=2014-10-16}}</ref> stood alongside the [[James River Canal]] that had been used to transport materials from the Atlantic ports of Virginia to [[Lexington, Virginia|Lexington]] since the 18th century,<ref>[[Maury River#History]]</ref> but by the founding of the city had been converted for the distribution of water power.<ref name="books.google.com"/> After opening the tannery, Moomaw opened a [[pulp mill]] and a [[canning]] factory. In 1882 Appold & Sons Tannery opened, and the first public school opened in 1885.<ref name="buenavistavirginia.org"/>

In 1893, the town was described as "one of the many new towns that seem to have sprung up as if by magic in some parts of Virginia." In that same year, they passed a law banning the sale of alcohol, effectively making it a dry town. Previous to 1889 none of the 600 dwellings, churches, stores, hotels and other buildings in the town had been built "but where are streets and all that goes to make a booming city the reapers that year gathered a luxuriant crop of wheat."<ref name="books.google.com"/> In December 1888, Moomaw wrote the Buena Vista Prospectus to organize a town and began selling stock. "It took only 30 days for all the stock to be sold for a total of $400,000. With the sale completed, it was time to lay out the town and begin recruiting people and industries."<ref name="buenavistavirginia.org"/> On February 22, 1889, a large deposit of [[iron ore]] was reportedly discovered that resulted in a boom of economic activity that lasted until March 4, 1892.<ref name="buenavistavirginia.org"/> In just those three years the community grew extensively, adding a new brick school house, an opera house, two churches, a luxury hotel, a new [[Masonic Lodge]] (Buena Vista Lodge No. 186),<ref name="grandlodgeofvirginia">{{cite web|url=http://www.grandlodgeofvirginia.org/lodges/186/history.asp|title=Lodge History - Buena Vista Lodge No. 186|publisher=grandlodgeofvirginia.org|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-date=2015-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203201211/http://www.grandlodgeofvirginia.org/lodges/186/history.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> a paper and pulp mill, a saddle factory, a [[cashmere wool|cashmere]] mill, two brick and clay works, a wagon works, two banks, an egg crate factory, an electric light plant, a furniture and chair factory, a boiler factory, an iron furnace and steel factory, a glass foundry, and several wood and lumber establishments.<ref name="books.google.com"/>

===Flooding===
[[File:Flooding in Buena Vista (7797517896).jpg|thumb|left|Flooding in Buena Vista caused by the passage of Hurricane Camille through the area]]
{{Main|Maury_River|l1=Maury River}}

Buena Vista is situated on the east side of the [[Maury River]] at the western foot of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]]. The Maury has a history of destructive floods damaging nearby communities. Particularly notable were floods on Oct 12, 1870, on the death of [[Robert E. Lee]], when the Maury River provided Lee a temporary coffin due to a dock washed away up river (source: Library Virginia Military Institute), and in 1936, 1969, 1985 and 1995.<ref name="field">''Field Guide to the Chessie Nature Trail''. Rockbrige Area Conservation Council, 1988.</ref> The Flood of '69 was the result of rainfall from the inland movement of [[Hurricane Camille]]. The Flood of '85 resulted from the convergence of three systems, including [[Hurricane Juan (1985)|Hurricane Juan]], which dumped tremendous amounts of rain on western Virginia.<ref name="va">[http://www.vaemergency.com/newsroom/history/hurricane.cfm VAEmergency.com > Newsroom & Archives > Virginia Hurricane History<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050904212755/http://www.vaemergency.com/newsroom/history/hurricane.cfm |date=September 4, 2005 }}</ref> The flood of record for the lower Maury River (downstream of the confluence with the [[South River (Maury River)|South River]]), including Buena Vista and [[Glasgow, Virginia|Glasgow]], occurred on August 20, 1969, at a stage of {{convert|31.23|ft}} on the Buena Vista gauge. (Flooding begins at {{convert|17.0|ft}} and major flooding at {{convert|21.0|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/weekly.php?wfo=rnk&gage=buvv2&view=1,1,1,1,1,1 |title=Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Blacksburg<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2013-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105074616/http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/weekly.php?wfo=rnk&gage=buvv2&view=1,1,1,1,1,1 |archive-date=2013-11-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>) The downtowns of Buena Vista and Glasgow were submerged in over {{convert|5|ft}} of water.<ref name="va"/> The upper Maury River including Lexington saw its flood of record during the Flood of 1985 when the gauging station at [[Rockbridge Baths, Virginia|Rockbridge Baths]] recorded a value of {{convert|19.19|ft}} from flood marks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://va.water.usgs.gov/annual/2000/sw/02021500.2000.sw.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-05-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510075439/http://va.water.usgs.gov/annual/2000/sw/02021500.2000.sw.pdf |archive-date=2009-05-10 }}</ref> The difference in flooding results from differing contributions of the South River depending on rainfall in the respective watersheds.

The James C. Olin Flood Control Project was completed in 1997 to reduce the potential for damage from flooding of the Maury River and inland streams in Buena Vista. The project consists of a 2.5-mile levee wall, topped by a walking trail known as the River Walk.