Cities always like to put their best foot forward and Atlanta is no exception. Our city’s efforts at boosterism are well documented and, while Atlantans may have been guilty of going overboard on some rare occasions, that sort of larger-than-life confidence is exactly the quality that has enabled the city to reach and capture that […]
Category: Stories of Atlanta
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The Transportation Affair
Atlanta hooked its star to the burgeoning railroad industry and, as a result, became the first great inland city of America. The railroads and Atlanta grew together as rail travel came to dominate the American landscape. But it turns out that Atlanta’s love affair wasn’t so much with the railroads as it was with transportation. […]
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Chance or skill?
It is illegal in Mobile, Alabama to spray Silly String. In West Virginia, if you’ve ever fought a duel with a deadly weapon, you can forget about running for office, that would be illegal…as would entering a mine in Wyoming should you be intoxicated. And, if you’re under the age of 18 in the State […]
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Three train town
By the end of 1845, people in the region had begun to believe that there just might be something to the young town of Atlanta. Any who remained skeptical of the hype found it harder to do so with the arrival of the first Macon and Western train. It’s the tale of a 3-train town […]
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A one in five chance
It was a new camera and the photographer only had 5 flash bulbs, yet there he was, on that fateful night, witnessing what would become the most devastating hotel fire in American history. Arnold Hardy ended up getting detained by the police that evening but not before he made history as we tell in this […]
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A familiar face returns
As these things go, the changing of the name Marthasville to Atlanta went about as smooth as could be expected. There was one slight hitch, some, who were no doubt devotees of ancient literature, assumed that there had been a typographical error in the spelling of the town’s new name and that actually “Atlanta” should […]
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The one that stuck
Richard Peters, the superintendent of the Georgia Railroad, had picked a name for the Marthasville train depot and had begun distributing circulars advertising the Atlanta Depot. As the Georgia Railroad, at the time, was running the only game in town, Peters didn’t get much pushback and, eventually, everybody began referring to Marthasville as Atlanta. Pause […]
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Centennial Celebration
Public works of art are numerous in Atlanta and, those who frequently encounter such city treasures can be forgiven if they don’t look twice while going about their busy days. But every now and then, it is worth being reminded that, when it comes to public art, frequently there is more there than meets the […]
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The California couple
This is a quick story about a couple that came to Atlanta from California to get something started. And boy, were they the start of something. It’s a story of firsts on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
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Not everyone agrees
At one point in Atlanta’s history, there was an organization that called itself, “The Atlanta Pioneer and Historical Society.” The group gathered together for the first, and only, time on a spring evening in 1871 for the purpose of preserving the history of Atlanta. What made this event so special, particularly for future historians of […]
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What would they think
There is a work of art situated in the heart of downtown Atlanta that reminds Atlantans of the way things used to be. The 36-foot tall metal sculpture stands on a traffic island in the middle of 5-Points and it is an artistic representation of another metal structure that occupied the same space in the […]
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It’s a small world
Grady Hospital first opened its doors in 1892 with 14 rooms and the mission to offer the best hospital care possible regardless of a person’s social status. Since opening its doors, thousands of people from all walks of life have turned to Grady to receive care and comfort in their hour of need. Over the […]
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Worthy of a premiere
It was an Eastern Airlines flight that, in 1939, brought Hollywood to the City of Atlanta. Film buffs will recognize 1939 as, perhaps, the biggest banner year for movies in the history of filmmaking. Gunga Din, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ninotchka, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Wizard of Oz, […]
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Not quite the end
The story is not that the building was torn down. The story is what happened to the building after it was demolished on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
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A unique offer
Legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey set his sights on a member of the Atlanta Crackers and makes baseball history in the process on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
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He had strong beliefs
W.E.B. DuBois was born in 1868 on the heels of the Civil War and by 1963, when he passed away, he had left behind a lifetime of accomplishment and dedication that forestalled any doubt about his sincerity and his passion. He wore many hats during his 95 years: educator, sociologist, writer, poet and scholar but […]
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The Course Correction
What do you do when you pursue your dream and it turns out to be a nightmare? That’s exactly the dilemma one Atlantan faced when he woke up to discover that he really didn’t like his job all that much. It’s course correction 101 for overachievers on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
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They called it…home
Back in the day, there was a long-standing tradition among Atlanta’s elite to spend summers on the coast or in the mountains. But not everyone enjoyed retreating from Atlanta’s summer temperatures. Some chose to remain close at home. This week we have a tale that begins in the early 1900’s with the building of a […]
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The Chimes
There are those in some parts of our country who will disagree with this story, but such is the nature storytelling. Clearly, not every historical account is packaged up nice and neat with indisputable documentation attesting to the veracity of its facts. Such is the case about a story connecting an Atlanta radio station with […]
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The Dance Instructor
In its over 100 years of operation in Midtown Atlanta, the elegant Georgian Terrace Hotel has played host to a who’s who of dignitaries, movies stars and entertainers. Situated at the corner of Ponce and Peachtree on land that was once the site of the Livingston Mims house, the Georgian Terrace has seen midtown Atlanta […]
