This week, ALLISON HUTTON, of Georgia Humanities, uses the story of the peach to examine a period in Georgia when what the state would become was far from certain.

By Allison Hutton

Blueberry Street. The Pecan Road Race. The Broiler Bowl. The Peanut State.

These names, honoring the agricultural industries in which Georgia ranks first (according to data compiled in 2014), may be more accurate, but “peach” has a certain ring to it that’s hard to replicate. And why would we want to?

The peach and its ascendancy to Georgia’s favorite and most famous stone fruit helps tell an important story of Georgia: who lived here, who worked here, and how we became who we are today.