Hurley, Virginia
{{Short description|Unincorporated community in Virginia, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Hurley
|official_name =
|settlement_type = Unincorporated community
|nickname =
|motto =
|image_skyline = Hurley, Virginia.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = State Route 643 in Hurley
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
|pushpin_label_position =
|pushpin_map_caption = Location within the Commonwealth of Virginia
|pushpin_mapsize =
|image_map =
|map_caption = Location within Buchanan county
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
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| subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Virginia
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Buchanan
|government_footnotes =
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|unit_pref = Imperial
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|population_as_of = 2000
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|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone = Eastern (EST)
| utc_offset = −5
|timezone_DST = EDT
| utc_offset_DST = −4
|elevation_footnotes =
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|coordinates = {{coord|37|25|13|N|82|01|11|W|region:US-VA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type = ZIP codes
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|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
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Hurley is an unincorporated community in Buchanan County, Virginia,{{cite gnis|1495733|Hurley|August 20, 2023}} United States, located at the convergence of County Routes 643, 646, 650, and 697, a short distance from the Kentucky and West Virginia state lines.
History
The Hurley post office was established in 1893.{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=VA&county=Buchanan&searchtext=&pagenum=2 | title=Buchanan County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=28 September 2014}} The community was probably named for Samuel Robert Hurley, a pioneer settler.{{cite book|last=Tennis|first=Joe|title=Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=noiiZPTGk9IC&pg=PA4|year=2004|publisher=The Overmountain Press|isbn=978-1-57072-256-1|page=4}} Located at the mouth of Lester's Fork and along Knox Creek, it became a timbering center in Buchanan County and was the headquarters for the William M. Ritter Lumber Company as well as a station on the narrow-gauge BS&C (Big Sandy and Cumberland) railroad. Ritter ran Shay engines on the line for his large lumber mill there and a few passenger cars along with his freight cars until the Norfolk and Western Railroad took it over in 1923, converting the rails to standard gauge and replacing the Shays with big, non-geared steam engines to serve the emerging coal industry in the area.{{cite web |last1=Lawrence |first1=Bob |title=W. M. Ritter Lumber Company |url=https://thetunneldiaries.com/tag/w-m-ritter-lumber-company/ |website=Blogging the Railroad Tunnels |access-date=5 December 2020}}
Hurley suffered devastating floods in 2002, which nearly wiped out the town.[http://www.vdem.state.va.us/emupdate/archives/update02/emup0602.pdf Hurley flood response hits high water mark]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Emergency Management Update. Virginia Department of Emergency Management, June 2002. Retrieved on 2009-03-18. The recovery efforts resulted in an FBI and IRS investigation into alleged corruption surrounding the use of government funds.[http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/164909 Big Coon Dog lawsuit trees little cash] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120914155141/http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/164909 |date=2012-09-14 }}. Hammack, Laurence. Roanoke Times. June 7, 2008.
Schools
- Hurley High School
- Hurley Elementary/Middle School
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Buchanan County, Virginia}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Unincorporated communities in Buchanan County, Virginia