Schmap Atlanta Historical Background

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Atlanta - Historical Background
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Atlanta Home
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Visitors to Atlanta often remark on a certain local curiosity: Even though just about every other street, plaza, or business establishment is dubbed "Peachtree," there doesn't seem to be a single peach tree in the entire city. The reason for this absence, simply enough, is that peach trees are not indigenous to the area. But the phenomenon of the peachtree naming mania stems from a confusion that dates back 200 years.

In 1782, military scouts moving west through Georgia discovered a small Cherokee village on the banks of the Chattahoochee River named, as the explorers understood it, Standing Peachtree. Historians, however, speculate that since it was unlikely that the natives had named their village after a variety of vegetation they had almost certainly never seen, the settlement's name came from the pitch tree, a type of evergreen found throughout the region. Nevertheless, by 1812, the new American military had established "Fort Peachtree" on the site of the Cherokee village, establishing a tradition of misnomerism that would continue for hundreds of years.

Of New Rails and Bitter Trails

The small outpost in northwest Georgia saw limited action in the War of 1812, but by the early 1820s, a growing influx of white settlers gave rise to conflict with the indigenous population. The peace was largely kept by the willingness of the Cherokee and Creek tribes to agree to a long series of ever more disagreeable treaties, which granted more and more land to the white settlers. The final blow was struck in 1837, when federal forces rounded up over 17,000 Cherokee and Creek Indians, and began a forced westward march that was to stretch over some 800 miles into what is now Oklahoma. More than 4,000 souls perished along the way, which later came to be known as the "Trail of Tears."

With the Indian situation no longer a concern, construction of the new Western & Atlantic Railroad proceeded full bore. Late in 1837, a town was founded near the site of Fort Peachtree that would serve as the Southern terminus of this new railway. The town was, rather poetically, named Terminus.

The Start of Something Big

The small burg grew rapidly, as rail workers, pioneers, and traders established homes and businesses in the town, which, in 1843, was renamed Marthasville. In 1845, the city was renamed Atlanta, and in 1848, Atlanta elected Moses W. Formwalt as its first mayor. As more track was laid throughout the South, Atlanta become connected to almost every major port and trade center, making it a vital link between the resources of Dixie and the markets of the North.

War Comes to Town

If the boomtown had been important to the South's economic well-being before, it became absolutely critical when war broke out. During the summer of 1864, 100,000 federal troops under General William Tecumseh Sherman pushed back Confederate defenders through north Georgia, culminating in the Battle of Atlanta on July 22nd. Sherman's forces shelled the city for over a month, until Atlanta surrendered on September 2nd. Before doing so, however, the rebel forces set flame to whatever they felt would be useful to the enemy, effectively burning down two-thirds of Atlanta. Of the 4,000 homes, businesses, and civic buildings that stood in Atlanta before the summer of 1864, only 400 remained.

Growing Pains

The trials of the early 20th Century played out in Atlanta as they did elsewhere in urban America, with great city advancements frequently marred by civic strife. By 1900, the city's population and workforce was almost evenly divided between white and black, but the laws of segregation dramatically divided these two populations. In 1960, Atlanta native and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. established his Southern Christian Leadership Conference in his Auburn Avenue neighborhood. His Center for Nonviolent Social Change now stands near his boyhood home on Auburn Avenue within the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Site. Atlanta was also the first major Southern city to elect a black mayor, voting in 35-year-old Maynard Jackson in 1974.

Growth Growth Growth

Through the latter part of the 20th Century, Atlanta has continued to expand as a vibrant, vital international city. In 1966, the city became the first in history to be awarded a professional baseball and football franchise in the same year. Eight years later, this would be the site of baseball history, when the Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record. In 1968, the Atlanta Hawks brought professional basketball to Atlanta. In 1976, the Georgia World Congress Center opened as the largest single-floor exhibit space on the planet, and, in 1979, Atlanta unveiled MARTA, a state-of-the-art public transit system.

A City on the Rise

Today, Atlanta stands as a premier American city and the capital of one of the nation's most rapidly-developing economic regions. Expansion and development continue as new ventures are born and new residents flock from around the country. The influx has been so great that it is sometimes said that the hardest thing to find in Atlanta (besides a peach tree) is someone who was born in Atlanta.

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Atlanta Braves

Major League Baseball

755 Hank Aaron Drive
(Turner Field)
Atlanta, GA 30302
United States
+1 404 249 6400
http://www.atlantabraves.com

Constructed for the 1996 Olympics, Turner Field has since served as the home of the Atlanta Braves, one of Major League Baseball's most successful franchises. Tickets for games are available in a wide range of prices depending upon seating (USD12-USD45). The Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum and Hall of Fame is also open during the off-season, a 4,000 square foot shrine featuring more than 200 artifacts from the Braves' history, including the 1995 World Series trophy.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Ginger Garner

Photo: Duane Hocum

Photo: Ginger Garner

Photo: Shawn Latta

Atlanta Braves photo by Brandon & Meredith

Photo: Brandon & Meredith

Photo: Stef M.

Photo: S Mckenzie

Photo: J. D. Harper

Photo: Casey LeFever

Photo: .Floortje.

Photo: Jeffry Moxley

Photo: oneighturbo

Photo: Adrienne Lawson

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Photo: Amy Scovill

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Photo: Julie Rozzi

Photo: Jason Loya

Georgia World Congress Center

Hosting Atlanta's Biggest Events 285 Andrew Young International Boulevard North West
Atlanta, GA 30313-1591
United States
+1 404 223 4000
http://www.gwcc.com In the heart of downtown Atlanta, The Georgia World Congress Center is the second largest exhibition facility in the United States, and host to a myriad of conventions, trade shows and corporate events each year. The multi-purpose facility hosted sporting events during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, when it also served as the International Broadcast Center. The building features over 950,000 square feet of exhibit space, as well as 76 meeting rooms, a 33,000-square-foot ballroom, and a 1,740-seat auditorium.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Mike Johnston
Photo: Karsh
Photo: Mike Johnston
Photo: Karsh
Photo: Stephen Shores

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

Civil Rights leader memorial 450 Auburn Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
United States
+1 404 331 5190
http://www.nps.gov/malu/ A few blocks to the east of downtown, the Sweet Auburn neighborhood is home to the birthplace of America's most influential Civil Rights leader. Operated by the National Park Service, this historic site contains Dr. King's boyhood home, his crypt and the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Tours are conducted daily on the hour beginning at 10am. During the summer, tours are on the half-hour, starting at 9:30am. Since the historic site covers several city blocks, visitors are advised to stop at the Visitor Center upon arrival for a map and touring advice. Free admission.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Jeff Muceus
Photo: Jeff Muceus
Photo: Derek Lumpkins
Photo: Cristian Pérez de Laborda
Photo: Kathleen Bennett
Photo: Eric Vanden Eykel
Photo: Eric Vanden Eykel
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Photo: Steve Lazar
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Photo: Shawn Coomer

Photo: Stephanie Cassamas