It was a time of improvement for the growing city of Atlanta Continuing our march through Atlanta’s history, this week’s Stories of Atlanta examines the state of the city in the mid 1850s. Since the infamous night that members of Atlanta’s Moral Party had resorted to violence in order to rid the city of its […]
Tag: Atlanta
Posted inColumns
Exclusive: Photos inside demolished Atlanta Medical Center
Days before developers kicked off the exterior demolition of the long-shuttered Atlanta Medical Center, SaportaReport was given an inside tour of the property’s intact and cleared-out interiors. Integral President of Urban Program Management Eric Pinckney and Atlanta Demolition executive Barry Roberts led the tour on June 26 alongside Ferma Corp. officials and amid demolition workers. […]
Posted inAtlanta Way 2.0
Laughing with, not at: How two Atlanta creatives use comedy to spark civic connection
On Tuesday, June 10, more than 60 people packed into “Dad’s Garage Theatre “for a live taping of the “What’s Good, Atlanta?” podcast, a civic storytelling show that blends comedy, poetry and public interest. Produced by local creatives Mark Kendall and David Perdue (no relation to the former U.S. Senator from Georgia). The show brought […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Atlanta Loses Its First Mayor
If it is southwest of Atlanta, why is it called East Point? This week on the Stories of Atlanta, we take a look at what seems to be an Atlanta history contradiction. It has to do with the naming of a neighboring city and why it got its name. With the unpleasantness of dealing with […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Regional leaders convene over key issues at ARC conference
Dozens of Metro Atlanta city and county leaders convened on June 26 for the Atlanta Regional Commission’s inaugural Regional Assembly of Public Officials in Cobb County to address key issues facing the area. The day-long conference featured remarks from Atlanta Mayor and ARC Board Chair Andre Dickens, Executive Director & CEO Anna Roach and keynote […]
Posted inColumns
Business strategies for a changing world take center stage at conference
Government leaders, business executives, and workforce advocates discussed the importance of economic mobility and small business growth during the Atlanta Business League’s Congress on the State of Black Business event on Tuesday. Amid today’s uncertainty, business leaders in attendance emphasized the importance of seeking opportunities in unexpected places. Held at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, the […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Extralegal Actions
Who loses an election but still claims victory? In early Atlanta, a political argument and a contentious loss leads to a level of discord that tests its citizens. In Atlanta history, there have been some contentious political arguments, but never has there been a night like the one we tell in this Stories of Atlanta. […]
Posted inKelly Jordan
Around the Gold Dome – various dates
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Posted inStories of Atlanta
Drinking, Gambling, & Unruly Behavior
Watching the Stories of Atlanta, one might be tempted to think that Atlanta’s history unfolded in a smooth, orderly fashion…one event after another in a precise and predictable manner, much like the hands on a clock. One should resist that temptation. The history of Atlanta was marked by challenges, setbacks, unexpected results and, as with […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Life-threatening Politics
He brought an umbrella to a knife fight. In this episode of Stories of Atlanta, part of our Atlanta history series Iron and Ambition, we travel back to 1848—a time when political insults came with real consequences. When Georgia Superior Court Justice Francis Cone called Alexander Stephens a “traitor,” it wasn’t taken lightly. Stephens, known […]
Posted inKelly Jordan
Auto details in Atlanta – various dates and locations
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Posted inStories of Atlanta
The First Election
What kind of city elects a saloon owner as its first mayor? In this episode of Stories of Atlanta, part of our Iron and Ambition series, we travel back to 1848—the year Atlanta held its very first city election. Fueled by fistfights, whiskey, and political passions, this raucous vote set the tone for the kind […]
Posted inAtlanta Way 2.0
A bold Idea to help nonprofits
Together, we can help 900+ nonprofits this summer—and the ripple effect could touch countless lives. Let’s build nonprofit capacity, unlock potential, and empower the people doing the hardest, most important work out there.
Posted inKelly Jordan
Flags around Atlanta – various dates
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Posted inStories of Atlanta
Not All Fun and Games
In response to competition from South Carolina, the State of Georgia embraced the fledgling railroad industry. The idea was to establish new trade opportunities by building a railroad system that would connect Georgia to the rest of the United States. Key to that plan was constructing a state-owned railroad line that would terminate in north […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
A Cure for Chaos
The town of Atlanta had designated its first commissioners in 1845. The 5-man governing body was comprised of stalwart citizens, none of whom had any previous experience in government affairs. They did their best to bring order to the young railroad town but, by all accounts, their efforts fell on deaf ears. There was little […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Blockade Runner
It was 1844, and the newly chartered town of Marthasville, Georgia, per its official charter, had appointed five commissioners to handle the town’s business. Their first act was to levy a tax on the community for the purpose of building new streets. Clearly, the citizenry of Marthasville had not embraced the concept of a commission-led […]
Posted inAdrianne Murchison, Columns
Hotel shutdown highlights homeless families, housing crisis and sex-trafficking
Small children running and playing near the entrance of the Economy Hotel in Roswell on Thursday were seemingly unaware of the looming crisis: their families would soon be without a home. Outside, staff from the Fulton Emergency Management Agency and the Roswell Fire Department helped keep the children engaged. Inside, workers from The Drake House, […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Replacing the Monroe
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. You’ll remember that Cousin John Thrasher had […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Everybody’s Cousin
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 […]
