Prior to the colonization of Virginia, the area around what would be Altavista was inhabited by the native Saponi people, in a tribal town that was called "Sapon Town", near what is now the Staunton River. The Saponi cleared out large networks of paths through the forests to connect their villages, inadvertently enabling colonists to come through the area with ease. The more hostile Occaneechi people were also present in the area, and killed some of the first colonizers in the area. Cherokee and Iroquois people also came through the area.[5]
Recognizing the excellent location for a new town, the Lane Company bought 2000 acres of land around the intersection and started planning a town named Lane's Siding.[6][7] On September 9th, 1907, the first settlers arrived to the town of Lane's Siding in a small red caboose. A firsthand account of the early settlement of the town was written by Mrs. E. G. Fitzgerald:
A photo of one of the first houses in Altavista, ~1907
When I first came to Altavista there wasn't hardly any body living there. There was the foundation to two stores. Then people began to come and build houses and stores. Then they built a hold and two depots. After awhile some people built a house and used it for a church. They used it for a school house too. Now there are about one thousand people here.[8]
Between July 1908 and May 1909 the town of Lane's Siding which, after a hat toss in one of the company bungalows,[5] was renamed to Altavista after the Lane family farm near Charlottesville,[7] had grown rapidly, with a "$100,000 machine shop, a $20,000 foundry and iron working plant, a $15,000 wood working plant, a $15,000 brick and tile making plant, a banking building and the home office of a $2,000,000 contracting and railway building company, a half dozen stores, a water works plant, an electrict lighting plant, a $30,000 hotel nearing completion, and about fifty residences" all being built in under a year.[9]
On September 1912, the town of Altavista had been incorporated[10]
Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Altavista
Lane Home Furnishingsedit
In March 1912, John Edward Lane had bought a small box company which had gone bankrupt in an auction for $500,[7] and put his son Edward Hudson Lane in charge of the facility even though he had no experience in the field. Because of how uncertain this new venture was, it was simply incorporated as the Standard Red Cedar Chest Company.
During World War I, the company was contracted to build ammunition boxes for the military. To meet demand, an "efficient assembly system" was introduced at the factory. Although the war was a setback for the company, they were able to sustain itself with capital from the Peoples Bank of Charlottesville, and after the war, they enjoyed great success mass-producing cedar chests. In 1922, the company was renamed to The Lane Company. The company expanded to television cabinets, tables, bedroom furniture, and recliners throughout the mid-20th century.[11][12]
The Lane Company was most famous for their Lane cedar chests made at the original plant in Altavista.[13] In 1992, The Lane Company's parent company, Furniture Brands International, filed for bankruptcy, and the Lane Company was slated for transfer abroad. In the summer of 2001, the last Lane Cedar Chest was manufactured, and the plant was shut down.[11] The plant is now currently a brownfield, with some of the buildings being used by other companies. In 2006, a fire occured in a vacant section of the plant.
The current Mayor of Altavista is Mike Mattox, a former teacher and local businessman; the Vice-Mayor is Reggie Bennett. There are five elected members of the Town Council.
U.S. Route 29, a four-lane expressway, forms the northern border of the town and provides access from four exits. US 29 leads north 25 miles (40 km) to Lynchburg and south 43 miles (69 km) to Danville.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Altavista has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13.0 km2), of which 4.9 square miles (12.7 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 2.24%, is water.[4]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,425 people, 1,502 households, and 940 families residing in the town. The population density was 699.9 people per square mile (270.4/km2). There were 1,650 housing units at an average density of 337.2 per square mile (130.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 74.25% White, 24.55% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 1,502 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,818, and the median income for a family was $40,039. Males had a median income of $32,017 versus $22,140 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,997. About 13.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
Altavista High School Team State Championshipsedit
Sports teams from Altavista High School have won several state championships in recent years.
Boys Basketball 2015 1A, Defeated Honaker Tigers 57-44
Football 2014 1A, Defeated Essex Trojans 22-20
Boys Basketball 2014 1A, Defeated Radford Bobcats 49-44
Football 2013 1A, Defeated Essex Trojans 21-0
Boys Basketball 2013 Group A, Division 1, Defeated West Point Pointers 80-62
Boys Cross Country 2010 Group A
Football 2009 Group A, Division 1, Defeated J.I. Burton Raiders 27-7
Girls Softball 2009 Group A, Defeated Glenvar Highlanders 7-1
Girls Basketball 2004 Single A, Defeated Radford Bobcats 50-39
Boys Basketball 2004 Single A, Defeated Riverheads 54-37
Girls Volleyball 2002 Single A
Climateedit
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Altavista has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[18]
^ ab"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Altavista town, Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved August 19, 2015.[dead link]
^ abPopek, Diane (1984). TRACKS Along the Staunton: A History of Leesville, Lynch Station, Hurt, & Altavista. Altavista Printing Company. ASIN B0006YPLEK.
^ ab'Founding of Altavista', Staunton River Memorial Library
^ abcdCarpenter, Robert (2007). A Pictorial History of Altavista, Virginia (1907-2007). Altavista, VA: The Altavista Town Council. ASIN B008J2J6XI.
^Fitzgerald, E. G., "Altavista", 1957 (The Altavista Journal, 10/20/1982)
^"Unique Altavista A Remarkable Town". The Altavista Journal. Vol. 1. October 23, 1909. p. 1.
^ ab"Lane Cedar Chest". Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Retrieved 5/27/2024. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Lane Company History | Lane Cedar Box.com". lanecedarbox. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Altavista, Virginia.
Town website
January 01, 1970
altavista, virginia, altavista, incorporated, town, campbell, county, virginia, town, lynchburg, metropolitan, area, population, 2020, census, founded, 1907, john, edward, lane, henry, lane, lane, company, chartered, september, 1912, townaltavista, welcome, si. Altavista is an incorporated town in Campbell County Virginia The town is in the Lynchburg Metropolitan Area and its population was 3 378 at the 2020 census 4 It was founded in 1907 by John Edward Lane and Henry L Lane of the Lane Company and was chartered on September 1912 Altavista VirginiaTownAltavista welcome signFlagNickname A TownMotto s Treasured past Innovative future Location of Altavista VirginiaCoordinates 37 7 3 N 79 17 23 W 37 11750 N 79 28972 W 37 11750 79 28972CountryUnited StatesStateVirginiaCountyCampbellPlanned1905First settledSeptember 9th 1907IncorporatedSeptember 1912Founded byThe Lane CompanyNamed forThe Lane Family farmGovernment TypeMayor council government MayorMike MattoxArea 1 Total5 24 sq mi 13 58 km2 Land5 13 sq mi 13 28 km2 Water0 11 sq mi 0 29 km2 Elevation548 ft 167 m Population 2020 Total3 378 Estimate 2021 3 396 Density664 07 sq mi 256 40 km2 Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP code24517Area code434FIPS code51 01528 2 GNIS feature ID1462426 3 Websitewww wbr altavistava wbr gov Contents 1 History 1 1 Colonial Period 1 1 1 Pre colonial 1 2 Founding 1 2 1 Lane Home Furnishings 2 Historic sites 3 Government 4 Geography 5 Demographics 6 Education 6 1 Altavista High School Team State Championships 7 Climate 8 Notable people 9 References 10 External linksHistory editColonial Period edit Pre colonial edit Prior to the colonization of Virginia the area around what would be Altavista was inhabited by the native Saponi people in a tribal town that was called Sapon Town near what is now the Staunton River The Saponi cleared out large networks of paths through the forests to connect their villages inadvertently enabling colonists to come through the area with ease The more hostile Occaneechi people were also present in the area and killed some of the first colonizers in the area Cherokee and Iroquois people also came through the area 5 Founding edit In 1905 John and Henry Lane s firm The Lane Brothers Construction Company had been awarded a contract to build 51 kilometers of railroad between Leesville and The Mansion for the Tidewater Railway Company which was incorporated by William Nelson Page and Henry Huttleston Rogers This railroad would also intersect the Southern Railway 6 7 Recognizing the excellent location for a new town the Lane Company bought 2000 acres of land around the intersection and started planning a town named Lane s Siding 6 7 On September 9th 1907 the first settlers arrived to the town of Lane s Siding in a small red caboose A firsthand account of the early settlement of the town was written by Mrs E G Fitzgerald nbsp A photo of one of the first houses in Altavista 1907When I first came to Altavista there wasn t hardly any body living there There was the foundation to two stores Then people began to come and build houses and stores Then they built a hold and two depots After awhile some people built a house and used it for a church They used it for a school house too Now there are about one thousand people here 8 Between July 1908 and May 1909 the town of Lane s Siding which after a hat toss in one of the company bungalows 5 was renamed to Altavista after the Lane family farm near Charlottesville 7 had grown rapidly with a 100 000 machine shop a 20 000 foundry and iron working plant a 15 000 wood working plant a 15 000 brick and tile making plant a banking building and the home office of a 2 000 000 contracting and railway building company a half dozen stores a water works plant an electrict lighting plant a 30 000 hotel nearing completion and about fifty residences all being built in under a year 9 On September 1912 the town of Altavista had been incorporated 10 nbsp Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Altavista Lane Home Furnishings edit In March 1912 John Edward Lane had bought a small box company which had gone bankrupt in an auction for 500 7 and put his son Edward Hudson Lane in charge of the facility even though he had no experience in the field Because of how uncertain this new venture was it was simply incorporated as the Standard Red Cedar Chest Company During World War I the company was contracted to build ammunition boxes for the military To meet demand an efficient assembly system was introduced at the factory Although the war was a setback for the company they were able to sustain itself with capital from the Peoples Bank of Charlottesville and after the war they enjoyed great success mass producing cedar chests In 1922 the company was renamed to The Lane Company The company expanded to television cabinets tables bedroom furniture and recliners throughout the mid 20th century 11 12 The Lane Company was most famous for their Lane cedar chests made at the original plant in Altavista 13 In 1992 The Lane Company s parent company Furniture Brands International filed for bankruptcy and the Lane Company was slated for transfer abroad In the summer of 2001 the last Lane Cedar Chest was manufactured and the plant was shut down 11 The plant is now currently a brownfield with some of the buildings being used by other companies In 2006 a fire occured in a vacant section of the plant Historic sites edit nbsp The Avoca Museum The Avoca Museum and Altavista Downtown Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places 14 Government editThe current Mayor of Altavista is Mike Mattox a former teacher and local businessman the Vice Mayor is Reggie Bennett There are five elected members of the Town Council Geography editAltavista is located in southwestern Campbell County at 37 7 3 N 79 17 23 W 37 11750 N 79 28972 W 37 11750 79 28972 37 117622 79 289632 15 It is bordered to the south by the Roanoke River which forms the boundary with Pittsylvania County The town of Hurt is directly to the south across the river U S Route 29 a four lane expressway forms the northern border of the town and provides access from four exits US 29 leads north 25 miles 40 km to Lynchburg and south 43 miles 69 km to Danville According to the United States Census Bureau Altavista has a total area of 5 0 square miles 13 0 km2 of which 4 9 square miles 12 7 km2 is land and 0 12 square miles 0 3 km2 or 2 24 is water 4 Demographics editHistorical population CensusPop Note 19201 206 19302 36796 3 19402 91923 3 19503 33214 1 19603 299 1 0 19702 708 17 9 19803 84942 1 19903 686 4 2 20003 425 7 1 20103 4500 7 20203 378 2 1 U S Decennial Census 16 As of the census 2 of 2000 there were 3 425 people 1 502 households and 940 families residing in the town The population density was 699 9 people per square mile 270 4 km2 There were 1 650 housing units at an average density of 337 2 per square mile 130 3 km2 The racial makeup of the town was 74 25 White 24 55 African American 0 09 Native American 0 20 Asian 0 32 from other races and 0 58 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0 93 of the population There were 1 502 households out of which 26 2 had children under the age of 18 living with them 42 7 were married couples living together 16 9 had a female householder with no husband present and 37 4 were non families 34 2 of all households were made up of individuals and 17 5 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 23 and the average family size was 2 86 In the town the population was spread out with 22 5 under the age of 18 6 7 from 18 to 24 23 7 from 25 to 44 25 3 from 45 to 64 and 21 8 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 43 years For every 100 females there were 77 6 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 71 8 males The median income for a household in the town was 31 818 and the median income for a family was 40 039 Males had a median income of 32 017 versus 22 140 for females The per capita income for the town was 17 997 About 13 6 of families and 13 5 of the population were below the poverty line including 14 4 of those under age 18 and 16 7 of those age 65 or over Education editThe public schools are operated by Campbell County Public Schools Altavista High School Team State Championships edit Sports teams from Altavista High School have won several state championships in recent years Boys Basketball 2015 1A Defeated Honaker Tigers 57 44 Football 2014 1A Defeated Essex Trojans 22 20 Boys Basketball 2014 1A Defeated Radford Bobcats 49 44 Football 2013 1A Defeated Essex Trojans 21 0 Boys Basketball 2013 Group A Division 1 Defeated West Point Pointers 80 62 Boys Cross Country 2010 Group A Football 2009 Group A Division 1 Defeated J I Burton Raiders 27 7 Girls Softball 2009 Group A Defeated Glenvar Highlanders 7 1 Girls Basketball 2004 Single A Defeated Radford Bobcats 50 39 Boys Basketball 2004 Single A Defeated Riverheads 54 37 Girls Volleyball 2002 Single AClimate editThe climate in this area is characterized by hot humid summers and generally mild to cool winters According to the Koppen Climate Classification system Altavista has a humid subtropical climate abbreviated Cfa on climate maps 18 Notable people editJuan Thornhill NFL safety Grayson Thurman pitcherReferences edit 2019 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Retrieved August 7 2020 a b U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 31 2008 US Board on Geographic Names United States Geological Survey October 25 2007 Retrieved January 31 2008 a b Geographic Identifiers 2010 Demographic Profile Data G001 Altavista town Virginia U S Census Bureau American Factfinder Retrieved August 19 2015 dead link a b Popek Diane 1984 TRACKS Along the Staunton A History of Leesville Lynch Station Hurt amp Altavista Altavista Printing Company ASIN B0006YPLEK a b Founding of Altavista Staunton River Memorial Library a b c d Carpenter Robert 2007 A Pictorial History of Altavista Virginia 1907 2007 Altavista VA The Altavista Town Council ASIN B008J2J6XI Fitzgerald E G Altavista 1957 The Altavista Journal 10 20 1982 Unique Altavista A Remarkable Town The Altavista Journal Vol 1 October 23 1909 p 1 Charter 1936 c 419 a b Lane Cedar Chest Virginia Museum of History amp Culture Retrieved 5 27 2024 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Check date values in access date help CS1 maint url status link Lane Company History Lane Cedar Box com lanecedarbox Retrieved May 27 2024 Schleining Lon 2003 Treasure Chests The Legacy of Extraordinary Boxes Taunton Press p 54 ISBN 1 56158 651 X National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 US Gazetteer files 2010 2000 and 1990 United States Census Bureau February 12 2011 Retrieved April 23 2011 Census of Population and Housing Census gov Retrieved June 4 2015 Population and Housing Unit Estimates United States Census Bureau May 24 2020 Retrieved May 27 2020 Climate Summary for Altavista VirginiaExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Altavista Virginia Town website AVOCA Museum Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Altavista Virginia amp oldid 1226019130 Lane Home Furnishings, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
