A vacation paradise on the outskirts of town
One constant that seems to endure no matter how much life changes is the need people feel to “get away.” The vacation is a time-honored tradition that has long been on the minds of Atlanta’s workers. It is as true today as it was in the 1870s when Atlantans discovered a new vacation spot to wash away the memory of the challenges of big city life.
Of course everything must be viewed in the context of the times and while, by today’s standards, this 19th century haven for work-weary Atlantans doesn’t seem like much…in its day, it was well worth the long commute. You know the place, you’ve probably been there yourself and we thought you might be interested in learning just how it came to be. Which is the subject of this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
First, let me say I absolutely love Lance Russell’s excellent film series! I just watched the film short titled “Atlanta’s Three Amigos.” Mr. Russell uses an image that originally was printed with an article that ran in either the Atlanta Journal or the Atlanta Constitution in 1897 depicting three of Atlanta’s earliest “pioneers.” The gentlemen on the left is misidentified as Jonathan Norcross. It actually is John James “Cousin John” Thrasher who arrived in the area that would later become Atlanta in 1839 when he was the successful bidder for a contract to build the Monroe Embankment in present-day downtown Atlanta. Thrasher hired Irish workers and built a railroad work camp to house them. The area was called “Thrasherville.” Cousin John was the founder and first Mayor of Norcross. He named the town after his good friend, Jonathan Norcross who was the 4th Mayor of Atlanta.
John Paul Thrasher, President
Thrasher Family AssociationReport