The story of a friendly man

One of the early residents of Atlanta was Dr. Joseph Thompson, who had been lured to the young city by an old friend. Dr. Thompson had a well-known and respected 20-year medical career in Decatur but issues with rheumatism put an end to his practice. He was running an inn when J. Edgar Thomson, a friend from Pennsylvania contacted him with an offer to move to Atlanta and become an innkeeper for the Georgia Railroad. Dr. Thompson accepted his friend’s offer, moved to Atlanta and stayed for the rest of his life. In the process, he became even wealthier, purchasing real estate. On most days, he could be found dispensing sage advice from his position as manager of a hotel in Atlanta. A hotel that is the subject of this week’s Stories of Atlanta.