8 6 0 ▁level , ▁which ▁some ▁attributed ▁to ▁sla very ' s ▁dem ise . ▁The ▁Lyn ch burg ▁Cot ton ▁Mill ▁and ▁Cr add ock - T er ry ▁Sho e ▁Co . ▁( which ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁largest ▁sh oe ▁manufact urer ▁in ▁the ▁South ) ▁were ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁The ▁Re us ens ▁hydro elect ric ▁dam ▁began ▁operating ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁and ▁soon ▁delivered ▁more ▁power . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁Virginia ▁Bapt ists ▁founded ▁a ▁training ▁school , ▁the ▁Lyn ch burg ▁Bapt ist ▁Sem inary . ▁It ▁began ▁to ▁offer ▁a ▁college - level ▁program ▁to ▁African - American ▁students ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁Now ▁named ▁the ▁Virginia ▁University ▁of ▁Lyn ch burg , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁city ' s ▁oldest ▁institution ▁of ▁higher ▁learning . ▁Not ▁far ▁outside ▁town , ▁Rand olph - Ma con ▁Woman ' s ▁College ▁and ▁S weet ▁B ri ar ▁College ▁were ▁founded ▁as ▁women ' s ▁colleg es ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁respectively . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁the ▁Christian ▁Church ▁( Dis ci ples ▁of ▁Christ ) ▁founded ▁Lyn ch burg ▁Christian ▁College ▁( l ater ▁Lyn ch burg ▁College ) ▁in ▁what ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁West over ▁Hotel ▁resort , ▁which ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁in ▁the ▁Pan ic ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 1 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0