When George moved from his home in Alabama to the City of Atlanta, he was only 16 years old but, none the less, he was acutely aware that the responsibility for the well-being of his mother and his 5-siblings rested squarely on his shoulders. Amid the fervor and chaos of an Atlanta recovering from the […]
Author Archives: Lance Russell
Lance Russell is an Atlanta-based filmmaker and media communicator who, for over three decades, has been entrusted by clients to tell their stories. A seasoned producer with an innate ability to cut to the heart of the matter, Lance’s instincts are tailor-made for today’s “media bite” culture. Brief, poignant and always entertaining, Lance’s current passion is bringing Atlanta’s colorful and inspiring past to life with his “rest of the story” style video series, Stories of Atlanta. “History’s best communicators,” says Lance, “have always been storytellers. It’s in our DNA. ‘Once upon a time’ is how we got to where we are now.”
Posted inStories of Atlanta
An Audacious Move
In 1976, Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner found himself in trouble with Major League Baseball and fearing the worst from Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Most owners would have laid low, apologized, and tried to smooth things over. Ted Turner had another idea entirely. What followed at a Los Angeles hotel during baseball’s winter meetings became one […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Bobby Cox and the Art of Ejection
On May 9th we got word of the passing of legendary Atlanta Braves coach Bobby Cox. He was 84 years old. In memory of his passing, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite Stories of Atlanta episodes, a story that captures not only Bobby’s fiery spirit, but the fierce loyalty that made him one […]
Posted inMedia, Stories of Atlanta
The Thinking Machine
He was among the more well-known writers of his day, often compared to the creator of Sherlock Holmes. He traveled in a rarified circle of fame and success which was certainly a far cry from his days writing sports for the Atlanta Journal. A Georgia man who made it big discovers the end is near […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Thirsty People
In 1891, Atlanta’s Mayor began spending the City’s money, secretly buying land on the outskirts of Atlanta. It wasn’t a case of embezzlement, just good-old business common sense. In attempting to solve one of the City’s ongoing issues, the Mayor had made a decision, a decision that would not only affect every single Atlantan for […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Why So Wide?
It was rumored to have miraculous, healing properties and, if the first-person accounts were to be believed, drinking the water from this spring was good for what ails you. Miracle cure or not, what it most definitely turned out to be was a really good business opportunity. It is the tale of thirst and the […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
He Got His Wish
Two men sit down for a conversation. As a result, one of the men, and influential industrialist and newspaper owner, commits his political support to the other man. This is enough to get the other man elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, where, according to the plan they hatched during their conversation, the new […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
A Real Estate Bonus
G.W. Collier was one of those Atlantans who arrived just as the ground itself was beginning to whisper opportunity. When he first came to the region, there was little more than wilderness, wagon ruts, and the faint outlines of a future not yet agreed upon. By the time Marthasville took on the name Atlanta, Collier […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Doctor Innkeeper
Long before Atlanta became a city of glass towers and interstates, it was a place where opportunity came by rail—and, now and then, by way of a well-placed connection. One of those invitations came from J. Edgar Thomson, a powerful figure in the railroad world who saw potential not just in a city, but in […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
First Impressions
It was not long after 3-railroad lines were connected to a central point in north Georgia that people began beating a path to Atlanta. Word had spread of the abundant opportunities and cheap land and those seeking better lives were arriving to the young city every day. There were, of course, those looking for work […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
After the Journey
Some stories rise with the skyline. Others whisper from the past. This week’s Stories of Atlanta reminds us that when the journey ends, it’s the stories we tell that remain.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Price of Standing Still
Henry Ford is often credited with saying, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” In true Ford fashion, he didn’t ask. Instead, he gave the world the “horseless carriage” and nothing was ever quite the same. For more than a century, Americans have had a love affair with […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Real Story about the Real Thing
A story has long connected two Atlanta institutions: The Coca-Cola Company and Georgia Tech during the days when John Heisman coached Tech’s football team. It suggests that somewhere between the boardroom and the gridiron, the structure of the game itself may have shifted from a game played in two halves, to a game played in […]
Posted inGuest Column
A hunt for the past
Get ready, Atlanta history buffs, Christmas is right around the corner. I am, of course, referring to the most exciting time of the year for those who want to learn about all things Atlanta: Phoenix Flies. During the month of March, the Atlanta Preservation Center hands out the best present any Atlantan could ask for […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Present Tense – Past Story
Atlanta is a city that rebuilds, repurposes, and replaces. But look closely and you’ll discover that its past is still there, hiding in plain sight. In this episode of Stories of Atlanta, we explore the orphaned signs, ghost signs, and architectural remnants that have outlived the buildings they once served. From South Downtown’s Hotel Row […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Dragon from Below
Roger Babson is the founder of the Gravity Research Foundation, an organization with the stated purpose of studying, understanding and, ultimately, harnessing the force of gravity. It was the childhood drowning of his older sister in a river near Gloucester, Massachusetts that sparked Babson’s life-long interest in finding a way to control the effects of […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Faithful to Tech
A crooked little dog. A headstone on a college campus. And a question that still stops people in their tracks. On the grounds of Georgia Tech, a small marble marker tells the story of Sideways, a campus legend who arrived by accident and stayed by choice. How did a stray dog earn a permanent place […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Face to Face
In a city known for its out with the old, in with the new attitude, architect William Stoddart’s buildings have defied the odds. It’s the story of two turn of the century era buildings that have stood the Atlanta test of time on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Atlanta in a Flash
Georgia State’s extensive digital collections library contains visual gems of Atlanta life through the years. Some of those are thanks to the efforts of a man by the name of Tracy O’Neal. For decades, O’Neal captured the rich tapestry of Atlanta. Trade shows . . . Promotional events. . . New Products . . . […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Trashcan Saga
Our story this week comes from Atlanta’s long-time Chief of Police Herbert Turner Jenkins. Chief Jenkins served on Atlanta’s police force from 1932 to 1972 and was named chief of Atlanta’s police force in 1947, a position he held for 25 years. In his book, Forty Years on the Force, Jenkins reminisced about his time […]
