A Brief History of Atlanta in Ten Steps
- At the end of the Appalachian Mountain chain
Visit: Dahlonega, GA. [ site of America's first gold rush ], Helen, GA. Both are about one hour north of Atlanta. There are several state parks, which allow camping in this area.
- Hardy Ivy, first settler, builds a log cabin at corner of Piedmont and Auburn Ave.
Visit: Atlanta Historical Society,
Note: Ellis Street and Cain Street (now International Blvd. in downtown) are named after Hardy Ivy's sons.
- Railroads are reason for the city
Visit: Underground Atlanta near the Fulton County Courthouse [ Five Points MARTA station ]. Note: There are a lot of streets named "Peachtree" since there was supposed to have been a peach tree located at the junction of today's Peachtree and Marietta St. Actually peach trees don't naturally grow this far north and the tree was probably a large pine tree from which "pitch" is made.
- City named Terminus, then Marthasville, then Atlanta
Visit: Oakland Cemetery for Martha Lumpkin's grave [ King MARTA station ]
- also grave of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind, and a beautiful collection of statuary on the Victorian era graves.
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Visit: The Cyclorama painting at Grant Park [ King MARTA station and transfer to bus ]
Note: The Atlanta Zoo is also located in Grant Park; Battlefield of the Battle of Atlanta near DeKalb and Moreland Ave. [ Inman Park MARTA Station ]; Carter Presidential Center [ where Sherman watched the Battle-you can walk from Inman Park MARTA through the Great Park and pass almost directly through the Battlefield ]; Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield has a museum and hiking trails with trenches still visible [ 20 minutes North of Ga Tech near Marietta, GA. ] Stone Mountain Memorial [ 20 minutes east of downtown ]. Margaret Mitchell House Museum [ Arts Center Station ].
- Resurgence of the city
Visit: Piedmont Park site of the International Cotton States Exposition in the 1890's; The Atlanta University Complex [ a concentration of colleges established for Blacks after the War. ]; Stature of Henry W. Grady who spoke of the "New South" and urged the Cotton mills of the north to move south; Georgia State Capitol Museum [ Five Points MARTA station ].
- Citizens make their mark on history
Visit: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library [ Bus from the North Ave MARTA station or walk via the Great Park from Inman Park MARTA station ]; King Memorial Center near Edgewood and Boulevard [ Bus #3 Lake Claire- from Five Points MARTA Station ]; World of Coca Cola [ Five Points MARTA station ]
- Transportation remained important and attracted growth
Visit: Suburbs surrounding I-285; Restored Intown neighborhoods such as Inman Park, Druid Hills, Ansley Park, Grant Park; Atlanta Airport [ Airport MARTA stop ]; High Museum of Art [ Arts Center MARTA station ]; Any of the hotels in the city.
- Olympics (1996)
Visit: Centennial Park [ Walk from Ga. Tech ]
- Stimulation of economy and growth of the city and region.
Visit: CNN Center; Lenox Square or Phipps Shopping Mall [ Lenox MARTA station ]
We are really glad you are here. The south is known for being hospitable and you will find most of us friendly and helpful; don't be afraid to ask directions or for help. So get a map, locate places you want to see and enjoy the city. It's a nice place to walk and almost everything mentioned above is accessible by foot or public transportation.
Note: using a map you will see that places mentioned above are sometimes close to one another, so planning is important. |
