A young man from Cartersville, GA comes to the big city hoping to pursue a career in medicine. He walks the streets of Atlanta, knocking on the door of every drug store in town. As the sun is setting, he is hired on the spot by one of the best-known druggists in Georgia and his […]
Category: Stories of Atlanta
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A new way to dine
When the Hyatt Regency on Peachtree Street opened as the Regency Hyatt House in 1967, it immediately became one of Atlanta’s biggest tourist attractions. It was, in fact, completely unique in the history of modern hotels and people came from near and far to experience architect John Portman’s newest creation. Part of that experience involved […]
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The Walker farm
That almost everything was something else before it became what it is today is hardly news to anyone. Knowing that fact, however, does not make the observation of the evolution of a city any less fascinating. Such is the case with the subject of this week’s Stories of Atlanta. At its heart, this story is […]
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Solomon
He was a freedman, a barber at the Atlanta Hotel and, by all accounts, well-liked and respected. He just picked the wrong day to step outside for some fresh air as you’ll see in this week’s Stories of Atlanta. Producer’s Note: this story references a lamppost located in Underground Atlanta and, while true at the […]
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Final resting place
At the intersection of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Oakdale Road sits a grand old home, one of many along that stretch of Ponce. Built for well-heeled Atlantans, many of the homes, including this one, are no longer residences but, unlike most of the grand homes that once lined Ponce, this home is memorialized in […]
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Hedging his bet
As automobile fever began to sweep across America, not everyone was enthralled with the new type of transportation. Among those said to be less than thrilled with the new-fangled form of conveyance was the founder of the Coca-Cola company, Asa Candler. A passing fad thought Atlanta’s best-known businessman, which makes one wonder why, then, did […]
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A tragic end
As we have so often observed, there is a reason for everything…you just have to know the story. That is not true, at least, when it comes to Martin and Susan DeFoor. You may recognize the name, the DeFoors gave rise to one of Atlanta’s many streets named after ferry proprietors. Unfortunately, Atlanta history remembers […]
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But was his mother proud?
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 […]
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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, […]
