Soon, another group of immigrants who were attracted by the abundance of fish of the place and its good prospects in agriculture settled in Tortosa. Later on, it was renamed Kihaw-an, after a white deer believed to be sacred by its pagan dwellers. This deer was found dead by the natives not far from the riverbank, which encircled the village. Its remains were placed on a table and allowed to rot. Because its odor spread all over the village, the place as named Kihaw-an, meaning baho-an (bad smell).

In the year 1920, the village known as Kihaw-an was changed o Buenavista meaning "Good View", a name given to it by an emissary of the Governor-General who was impressed by the picturesque view . During this year, the town was connected with Butuan by means of road.

On January 1,1937, by virtue of Executive Order No. 665 issued by the Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon, the barrio of Buenavista became a municipality through Assemblyman Apolonio D. Curato and Governor Jose R. Rosales, Commissioner of Mindanao and Sulu Teofisto Guingona, Sr., and Secretary of Interior Elpidio Quirino, with a set of appointed officials to serve for a period of one year.

Saint James, The Great is the patron saint of Buenavista and the townspeople celebrate their fiesta every 25th of July.

Buenavista lies 9 degrees 55 minute's' north latitude and 125 degrees 25 minutes' east longitude of the northern part of Agusan del Norte. It is bounded on the North by Butuan Bay, on the West by Nasipit and Misamis Oriental, on the South by Las Nieves and on the east by the City of Butuan, the capital city of Agusan del Norte.

Source: Agusan del Norte Brochure
Produced by the Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte
in cooperation with Community Affairs Public Assistance and Information Office
and the Provincial Planning and Development Office.