Lynchburg is a scenic city located in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia. The area has an extensive history beginning with its founding on the James River in the 1760's by John Lynch as "Lynch's Ferry." Today the city has an urban population of over 96,000, including the suburbs of Madison Heights, Timberlake and Forest. The 1990 census by the U.S. Census Bureau lists the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Lynchburg (which includes Amherst, Bedford and Campbell counties and the cities of Bedford and Lynchburg) as having a population of 193,928. Lynchburg's economy is based on the many high-tech manufacturing companies located here including cellular communications, nuclear energy, and machinery. This manufacturing and research orientation represents a shift from the mill-based economy of the past, which included foundries, shoes and textiles. Education is well-represented here with four area private colleges and a public community college. Health care includes two hospitals, one of which, Lynchburg General, has been recently renovated into a state-of-the-art facility for the next century. Cradled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge in Virginia's heartland is Lynchburg, a city that is a gracious blend of past and present. Founded by a Quaker named John Lynch in 1786, Lynchburg grew into a major trade center, thanks to its proximity to the James River. Riverboats called bateaux were used to transport tobacco and other goods from Central Virginia to Richmond. Because of its central location in the state, Lynchburg became a stopping off place for travelers, and during the American Revolution and the Civil War, the city played an important role. Lynchburg became one of the wealthiest cities per capita in the nation because of its bustling tobacco trade. Remnants of this golden age can be seen in the grand architecture in some of the city's original neighborhoods such as Diamond Hill, Garland Hill, Daniel's Hill and Federal Hill. One of Lynchburg's most famous visitors and sometime resident was Thomas Jefferson, who built his retreat, Poplar Forest, just outside the city in the early 19th century. Jefferson would leave Monticello to seek quietude at Poplar Forest which now is open to the public for tours. In the summer of 1989, archaeological digging began on the property as researchers continue to study the life of one the nation's most brilliant minds.