As the saying goes, the fastest way from here to there is a straight line. But, sometimes, it is not that simple. These days, there are any number of possible impediments to a speedy trip: roadwork . . . detours . . . even street names. Over the years, many of Atlanta’s streets have gone through multiple monikers. This […]
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
The Iron Triangle
The Terminus location is fixed. The Iron Triangle is complete. There were winners and there were losers. It’s time to take stock on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Name Change
He was one of 22 under-equipped soldiers charged with building a fort on Georgia’s western frontier during the War of 1812. After the war, he returned to the area, bought 1,000 acres and made a life for his family. The family business is long gone but the name is still around as told on this […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
An Unexpected Guest
Our intent this week was to talk about Atlanta and her visitors. Any city that attains any sort of momentum attracts interesting visitors…some famous, some not so much. But with every visitor comes a story and this week we were going to tell a visitor story. A pretty good one too. Kind of a “Day […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
He left in a huff
A chief engineer identifies the terminus point, a stake is driven into the ground and, around that marker, the City of Atlanta grows. It’s a pretty neat story…except that isn’t exactly how it happened. Nothing in this world – or that world – is safe from political intrigue, as you see in this week’s Stories […]
Posted inMain Slider, Stories of Atlanta
What would you take if given the opportunity
It is an iconic image, to say the least. Astronaut Alan Shepard, in his full spacesuit, standing on the surface of the moon…swinging at a golf ball. Amid all of the hi tech, “get me to the moon and back” gear aboard the Apollo 14 mission, Shepard had smuggled a makeshift golf club and some […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Connected to the past
Near the core of the Georgia State campus sits a Victorian structure that seems a bit out of place. Amid the multi-story buildings that line the street, it stands out in its uniqueness. With a gabled roof and turreted facade, what is today the home of the University’s Baptist Student Union resembles none of the other buildings in the neighborhood.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
A dubious first
Being a lawman in Atlanta during the Civil War was challenging enough. It was especially hard for Tom Shivers when he came face to face with the man who wanted his job. It’s a story with an ironic ending that culminates with a dubious first on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Not everyone shared his enthusiasm
James Litchfield Beavers is not a name that most Atlantans today are familiar with but back in his day James Beavers was “The Man”…literally. For 26 years, James Beavers was a member of Atlanta’s police force and from1911 to 1915 he was Atlanta’s “Top Cop,” the Chief of Police. In his almost three decades of […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Moral Moviemaking
In September of 1895 at Atlanta’s Cotton States and International Exposition, Charles Jenkins demonstrated to the world what he called a Phantoscope, an early version of a movie projector. From that moment on, the world would never be the same. The invention of the movie projector led to the emergence of filmmaking as an art […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
It’s probably not what he had in mind
Houses of worship have not just been a presence in Atlanta, they have been one of the forces that helped shape and support our community. This week, we tell the tale of Leonard Broughton who came to Atlanta to lead a church and ended up building one of Atlanta’s still-standing historical structures. Each year Broughton’s […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The first, first born
They came seeking a new life in a new town. As a newlywed couple, Sarah and Willis Carlisle left a comfortable home in Marietta and moved to Terminus to make their fortune. Little did they know that just by doing what every newlywed couple does, they would make history. It’s the story of a first […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
His Honor the Urban Planner
Reuben Cone was a justice in DeKalb County when Decatur consisted of about 12 log cabins. Which means that Judge Reuben Cone was around when they laid the 1st railroad tracks that would create the City of Atlanta. He was also smart enough to know a good thing when he saw it, as you’ll see on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
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Avoiding the Wrecking Ball
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.
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Planning for the W&A
He was everybody’s cousin. Nobody’s fool. And the richest 21-year old in town. It’s the story of the railroad man who built a community that became a city on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
This should come as no surprise to anyone
If you had to pick just one occupation that people throughout the ages would recognize as a job, what would you pick? Yeah, us too. This week’s story is about those who work for a living. According to Atlanta’s 1850 census, there were 54 people who chose to leave the census question about their occupation […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Influenced By the Best
Some folks just seem to have a knack for what they do. They find their footing at a young age, start moving forward and never look back. It’s hard to say where that type of motivation comes from. Perhaps it has something to do with the company we keep along the way. It’s the story […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Settlers
They walked into the woods and made lives for themselves. That’s a concept 21st-century Atlantans understandably might have trouble wrapping their heads around. But for the 19th century settlers whose names would become a part of our city’s history, it was business as usual. We meet the neighbors on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The job wasn’t what he thought
By the end of the 1870’s, Atlanta’s population had grown to over 37,000 and in 1881 the Atlanta Constitution reported that Atlanta was in the midst of the greatest boom she had ever seen. It was into this boomtown environment that a young, first year lawyer from the University of Virginia moved. He set up […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Not a river town
During the early days of America’s founding, having access to water was one of the primary prerequisites in choosing a location for a community. It’s not a difficult concept to understand.
