▁was ▁purchased ▁from ▁David ▁H unt ▁and ▁others ▁by ▁John ▁H agan ▁of ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁and ▁then ▁sold ▁to ▁Taylor ▁for ▁$ 9 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁It ▁came ▁with ▁eight y - one ▁African ▁" serv ants ," ▁as ▁Taylor ▁called ▁them , ▁and ▁with ▁horses , ▁m ules , ▁cattle ▁and ▁equipment . ▁Taylor ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Margaret ▁Taylor , ▁often ▁visited ▁the ▁plant ation ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 . ▁Indeed , ▁she ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁her ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁plant ation ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War . ▁Though ▁Taylor ▁won ▁many ▁batt les ▁in ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bu ena ▁V ista ▁was ▁his ▁last ▁victory ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁plant ation ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Bu ena ▁V ista ▁when ▁Taylor ▁returned ▁from ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Taylor ' s ▁parents , ▁Colonel ▁Richard ▁and ▁S ara ▁St ro ther ▁Taylor , ▁raised ▁him ▁on ▁their ▁plant ation , ▁so ▁he ▁had ▁experience ▁running ▁a ▁plant ation . ▁Cot ton , ▁to b acco , ▁corn ▁and ▁whe at ▁were ▁grown , ▁and ▁h ogs , ▁sheep , ▁cattle ▁and ▁p oul try ▁were ▁raised ▁on ▁his ▁plant ation . ▁He ▁grew ▁pot atoes ▁and ▁pe as ▁in ▁his ▁garden . ▁His ▁home ▁on ▁the ▁plant ation ▁was ▁made ▁of ▁tim ber ▁and ▁included ▁a ▁large ▁library . ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁saw