▁it ▁through ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley . ▁Lyn ch burg ▁had ▁a ▁te legraph , ▁about ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁residents , ▁and ▁the ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁a ▁street car ▁system . ▁Many ▁citizens , ▁bel ieving ▁their ▁city ▁crow ded ▁enough , ▁did ▁not ▁join ▁the ▁boost ers ▁who ▁wanted ▁Lyn ch burg ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁j unction ▁of ▁that ▁valley ▁line ▁and ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁Nor folk ▁and ▁Western ▁Rail road , ▁so ▁the ▁j unction ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁Big ▁L ick . ▁This ▁later ▁developed ▁as ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Ro ano ke . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁latter ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁Lyn ch burg ▁emb rac ed ▁manufact uring ▁( the ▁city ▁being ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" P itt s burgh ▁of ▁the ▁South "). ▁On ▁a ▁per ▁cap ita ▁basis , ▁it ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁wealth iest ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁Lyn ch burg ▁resident ▁James ▁Albert ▁B ons ack ▁invent ed ▁the ▁first ▁cig aret te - rolling ▁machine . ▁Short ly ▁there after ▁Dr . ▁Charles ▁Brow ne ▁Fle et , ▁a ▁phys ician ▁and ▁ph arm ac ological ▁t ink erer , ▁introduced ▁the ▁first ▁micro - en ema ▁to ▁be ▁mass ▁market ed ▁over - the - counter . ▁By ▁the ▁city ' s ▁cent enn ial ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁bank ing ▁activity ▁had ▁increased ▁six fold ▁over ▁the ▁ 1