JAMES ETHELDRED WILLIAMS. PIONEER CITIZENS' HISTORY OF ATLANTA 1655-1902. PUBLISHED BY THE PIONEER CITIZENS' SOCIETY OF ATLANTA. ONE DOLLAR A COPY. ATLANTA, GA. BYRD PRINTING COMPANY. 1902. ./If P6 PIONEER CITIZENS' SOCIETY OE ATLANTA, 1902. W. L. CALHOUN, - - - President. J. C. HENDRIX. - - - - First Vice President. B. F. ABBOTT, - - - - Second Vice President. J. C. PECK, Third Vice President. W. A. FULLER, - - - - Historian. FRANK T. RYAN, - - - SecreTary-Treasurer. ATLANTA. BY CHARLES W. HUBNER. Majestic, beautiful, a shape of splendor, With Beauty's magic cestus chastely zoned, A Queen, to whom true hearts their homage render. Upon her hills Atlanta sits enthroned; How splendid is her smile ! like sunshine raying Its iridescent glory after rain, As she looks forth with sparkling eyes surveying The panorama of her vast domain; From mountains, which beneath the north star's beaming Sublimely lift to heaven their snow-crowned heads. To where the ocean's opalescent gleaming Illumes shell-jeweled shores, her empire spreads; The bird that farthest cleaves, with daring pinion, The azure spaces of empyrean air, Looks down upon no lordlier dominion, No richer realm, no heritage more fair. Our peerless Queen! Behold her calmly sitting. Holding the reins of empire in her hand, With comely grace and stately mien befitting The sovereign ruler of a mighty land; With eagle eyes she scans the forward distance, And reads her happy future in the stars — To faith like hers, to such sublime insistence, Fate yields, and with a smile her gate unbars ! 4 Pioneer Citizens' Still live the men who, in her urban borders Saw — where today they see a thousand' spires — The Cherokees, our state's primeval warders, Chase the wild deer, and light their council fires; They heard the panther yell, the eagle screaming. The rattling snake, coiled for his deadly spring. Where now, with hosts of busy toilers teeming, A mighty city's clamorous voices ring. Out of the wilderness, a wildwood blossom, Fair nursling of the sunshine and the dew. Her dawning beauty brightening in her bosom. Through peaceful years in strength and grace she grew; But sudden came a change — the muttering thunder Burst into storm, the sky grew black with gloom. And like the bolt which rends an oak asunder. Destruction fell on her and wrought her doom. Grim in their cave in Pluto's ghostly regions Her life-thread spinning, sat the silent Fates, Beheld Bellona hurl her roaring legions, A sea of steel, against Atlanta's gates ; The silent Fates spin on; the earthquake rumbling Of bursting mines, the cannon's deafening sound Shake earth and sky; walls, towers and bastions tumbling, Shell-shattered, strew with smoking wreck the ground; But grim and silent still, their distaff holding With steady hand, the sister Fates spin on ; Life's drama, with its mystical unfolding, 'Tis theirs to watch till the last scene be done ; It was not in man's power to snap asunder Atlanta's life-thread, guarded by the Fates, Though she was smitten prone with bolts of thunder, And level with the dust lay all her gates. History of Atlanta. Out of the ruins, unto death defended By men as brave as Greece or Rome e'er bore, Behold our Queen arise, a Vision splendid, Her throne and scepter to resume once more ; Her star of hope in cloudless skies is burning, No time or mood hath she for the idle tears ; The night is past, and brightly dawns the morning— To face the world and conquer it is hers ! The wreck, the dust, the smoldering ashes raking. That darkly hide the reeking, blood-stained soil, Hope and assurance for the future taking From her great past, we see her delve and toil ; With victory-compelling, empire-making, Napoleonic genius, pluck and art, Behold Atlanta once more grandly shaping, In stone and gold, the vision of her heart ! She hath no time for restrospective dreamings — Her life is with the future, not the past; Her victories of peace, with commerce schemings. Her bosom burns, her pulse beats loud and fast ; But yet, methinks, with smiles she still remembers Her humble cradle in the virgin wood, Or drops her tears upon the dust and embers. That mark her ordeal days of fire and blood. Men of rare brains and brawn were once her nurses, And safely brought her through her infant years; With pride the muse of history still rehearses Their trials and their triumphs, hopes and fears; Stern men of war, men of heroic fiber, In her defense have stood and bled, and died. Till with her classic sister on the Tiber, She hath in fame become identified. 6 Pioneer Citizens' And men of might who bravely from the nettle Of Danger oft have plucked its golden flower, Men molded out of nature's finest metal, Still guide her steps along the paths of power ; These with their lives, as with a shield, would cover Her life, her fame — like those who bled and died For her in former days, or as a lover Would shield the life and honor of his bride. And still they come, her Paladin defenders ! Building a wall of hearts for her defence ; The living jewels in her crown of splendors, The corner stone of her magnificence ; She cares but little what, in rank or station. In race or creed, or birth, a man may be. So he but lays his heart as an oblation. Upon the altar of her destiny. Brave, proud, omnipotent in the innateness Of powers that know not death, nor dull decay, What bounds shall ever curb her growing greatness ? What adverse force resist her sovereign sway? Although the past and present of her story. Seem like some fairy-tale of Orient lands. What brains can dream, what tongue portray her glory, When on her future's summit crowned she stands ? History of Atlanta. PREFACE. It is not without a degree of pride that the committee charged with the duty of presenting to the public this history take this occasion to felicitate themselves on the accomplish- ment of that task. It has been a labor of love, attended with a great responsibility in getting together so voluminous a record of persons and events. These pages are replete with the history of those who were participants in the founding of this great city; indeed, it is their record of the stirring events which occurred from year to year from the first settlement, along the formative period of the embryo metropolitan city of today. And largely to the older inhabitant is the reader indebted for this accurate and authentic history, to which they, as members of the Pioneer Citizens' Society, gave much thought and labor. The committee, in addition to the mass of information in its hands, have had access to various publications, and have availed themselves of every source of information which could be had. We could not be other than grateful to all who have willingly responded to every appeal made them in behalf of this undertaking. Especially valuable have we found the history of the "City of Atlanta," by Mr. Wallace Putnam Peed; the histories of Atlanta, by Colonel E. Y. Clarke, and also that of Colonel Isaac W. Avery. We have used their works wherever convenient to supplement the information furnished by the various committees of the Pioneer Citizens' Society, To the press of the city we are grateful for its generous en- couragement; to our editor and compiler, Mr. Louis L. Par- 8 Pioneer Citizens' ham, we are indebted for his painstaking care and patient en- deavor to so arrange this work as to avoid tediousness and glittering generalities — to arrive at facts — which, indeed, has been the aim of the committee. In conclusion, if we have added one pleasure to the friends of the pioneer, and contributed to the history of the past of Atlanta, this labor of love has not been in vain. John C. Peck, Chairman, John C. Hendrix, W. A. Fuller, C. W. HUNNICUTT, Frank P. Eice, W, S. Everett, W. L. Calhoun, Ex-Off., Committee. History of Atlanta. 9 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. "To rescue from oblivion the memory of former incidents, and to render a just tribute of renown to the many great and wonderful transactions of our progenitors/' is the stimu- lus to the Pioneer Citizens" Society, of Atlanta, to produce this work. Like the great father of his country, whose words have just been quoted, we treat of times past, over which the twilight of uncertainty has almost thrown its shadows, and the evening of forgetfulness to descend forever. With some- thing akin to despair we have long beheld the history of this community slipping from our grasp, trembling on the lips of narrative old age, and day by day dropping peacemeal into the tomb. In a little while these -venerable men and women of the days of the past will be gathered to their fathers — indeed, even now there are few left to tell the story. Their children, engrossed by the empty pleasures or insignificant transac- tions of the present age, will neglect to treasure up the recol- lections of the past, and posterity will search in vain for me- morials of the early settlers. Determined, therefore, to avert, if possible, the threatened disaster, we have gathered up all the fragments of our early history which still exist. Who shall say 'twill be love's labor lost? Fortunately for the early history of Atlanta, there have been preserved many facts which light up the pathway and enable the reader to travel the rugged road with the pioneer in the early dawn of this great city. More fortunate still, a few of those who laid Atlanta's foundations left with us the impres- sions received in their life-work, upon which the historian 10 Pioneer Citizens' could build a story replete with interest to the seeker after knowledge of the days of the past. The pioneers of Atlanta deserve to be remembered by those who came after them; they laid the foundations deep and broad for this great city; they endured hardships, worked with crude implements — hoped almost against hope — in a land in which the aborigine had recently roamed at will, quite "monarch of all he surveyed," with no one his title to dispute. Here, in the forests wild, the earliest whites built their log cabins, tilled the soil, reared their families and inaugurated the building of a town which proved the nucleus for a great inland city — the "Gate City of the South." It has been said of these pioneers that "they did not bring the infirmities of old age, or the weakness of impaired vitality, to linger for a few days in the settlement, and then bequeath their bones to the cemetery; but they came with a long future in front of them, bringing their wives newly married, and their furniture newly bought. They came to grow up with the place, to reap the re- ward of honest endeavor, and to purchase by dint of patient endeavor a few of the goodly "smiles of fortune." They left as an inheritance names that enrich the pages of the State's history — deeds that cause a halo to gather about their mem- ories. In her infancy Atlanta was like many other border towns; it sheltered some dissolute characters. But, fortunately for her conservative citizenship, they were masterful in intelli- gence, patriotism, public spirit and in their love for law and order, and possessed the moral courage to risk everything, even their lives, in defense of their convictions. In proof of which may be cited three incidents occurring in those early days, namely: The rebellion against Mayor Norcross, the trial and execution of the murderers of old man Landrum, and the prevention of the execution of William A. Choice by a mob. History of Atlanta, 11 There were other stirring incidents in her early life, but none more thrilling, nor exhibiting in a stronger light the true stamina and character of these sturdy pioneers. By and through them the escutcheon of the embryo metropolis was preserved pure and spotless. Such are the characters portrayed in these pages — such the men whose lives and deeds this book faithfully portrays. CHAPTEE II. IN THE POEEST WILD— ATLA^ TA'S FIEST WHITE SETTLEE. Hardy Ivy, the Pioneer, Buys a Large Body of Land — No Neighbors for Miles Around — Description of the Coun- try in 1833— The Prospective "State Eoad"— Driving the Stakes for Its Eastern Terminus — Highways of Travel Through This Section— "Whitehall," the First Wayside Inn— The Eed Man's Eetirement Before the "Pale Face" — Primitive Homes of Early Settlers — Land at Any Price. The first white settler in the solitude of the forests in this immediate section was Hardy Ivy. He made his advent in 1833, and built his humble home near where he little thought a great city would some day rise in its splendor, teeming with its thousands of inhabitants and busy marts of trade. What- ever may have been his speculations as to the future, this ad- venturous spirit could not have dreamed of a city such as At- 12 Pioneer Citizens' lanta is today. He came to till the soil and reap the reward of honest labor. As land was of little value at that time, he purchased al)out two hundred acres on his own terms — agree- ing to pay for it in produce "as he could spare it." His pos- sessions lay in a body running from what is now Decatur street along Peachtree to Cain, and back towards Ponce de Leon, His cabin was in a little clearing about one mile east of Peachtree road. Far from this lonely habitation were his neighbors — several miles distant indeed. But undismayed, he began clearing up his farm, trusting the future, however precarious seemed the prospects he now encountered. It was not till several years later, however, that this pioneer was joined by others. The impetus given the settlement can best be understood by the determination on the part of the State of Georgia to build a railroad from the Tennessee river to a point east of the Chat- tahoochee river in DeKalb county, most suitable for the run- ning of branch roads thence to Madison, Athens, Milledgeville, Forsyth and Columbus. The act was passed by the general assembly in December, 1836. Active operations were not begun till two years later. But the news of this important step spread over the country and attracted attention. The new settlement began to grow slowly. In 1837, as travel through the settlement began to in- crease, it became necessary for some one to erect a wayside inn. This was done by Charner Humphries. This inn con- sisted of a number of shanties huddled together, planked up and painted white — the only painted house in the country — hence it was dubbed the "White Hall." It was a famous stop- ping place for travelers and headquarters for the general mus- ter, which took place at stated times, as the law regarding the militia provided. The writer recently conversed with a gentleman of ad- History of Atlanta. 13 vaneed years, who when a boy traveled through this section with his father. He well remembers it was in 1838 they ar- rived at the "White Hall" and put up for the night, before proceeding in their buggy to their destination in Alabama. Let us turn now to a description of the country as it ap- peared when Ivy came. It was a dense forest of scrubby oaks and pines covering the gravelly hills, while the earth was hid beneath a thick, heavy growth of sourwood, gooseberry and chinquepin shrubbery. The sound of the woodman's axe had never been heard under the shade of the trees that spread their branches over the hills and gentle slopes beneath them, save that of the traveler when making his camp-fire, or the woodman in pursuit of his game. There were three public roads running through this woody, unbroken country — the road from Decatur to Newnan, a dis- tance of fifty-five miles, ran through this forest and nearly through what is now the center of the City of Atlanta. At a point near where the Seaboard Air Line depot now stands the road forked, the right-hand running mainly along what is now Decatur and Marietta streets to Montgomery's ferry on the Chattahoochee river, about half a mile above the railroad bridge. The road to Nelson's ferry, six or eight miles below Montgomery's ferry, left that road at a point near where the cotton factory now stands, corner of Marietta and Magnolia streets. Another settlement road ran to the Collier farm on Peachtree creek, and another through what is now Westview cemetery, in the direction of Clark University (colored), in the western part of the city. The first settlement on the road to Nelson's ferry was that of Mr. Thurman, who owned a farm and also ran a mill on a small stream that coursed through his place. Among the families of that day living within a radius of about two to ten miles were, Benjamin Little, Charner Hum- 14 Pioneer Citizens' phries, James Montgomery, Abner Conley (whose farm ex- tended down to what is now East Point) and Hornady, Hughie, Blackstock and Moses Trimble. CHAPTEE III. TERMINUS. The Earliest Name of the Present Atlanta — Events Which Stirred the Few Inhabitants — Some Who Came and Later Moved Away — Active Work Begun on the "State Road"— First Sale of Lots in 1839, in the Woods— One Lot on Whitehall Road Brings $45 — Approach of the First Railroad — The First Locomotive, and Manner of Transporting it Thither. The metropolis of today had but a very humble and inaus- picious beginning. As has been stated, the "State Road" had been chartered, but not until the road's surveyor, Stephen H. Long, in 1837, had driven the stake in the woods where the eastern terminus was to be, was there anything on which to hang a hope for a town. This event was a momentous one, unattended, however, with any ceremonies. The stake was driven near the present union passenger station. This being the terminus of the proposed road, the natives could think of no more appropriate name for the settlement — and so it be- came "Terminus." This matter settled, they awaited re- sults, reasoning with themselves that the influx of prospectors would not be long in setting in — and so it proved. History of Atlanta, 15 As active work on the State Eoad had been resumed in this year — 1838 — hope revived, and the future seemed brighter to the handfull of pioneers. Time wore along till early in the year 1839, when a lull came. Many became dissatisfied and impatient. Among this number was John Thrasher, who had removed from Decatur, purchased a large tract of land, built a storehouse and begun business. He sold out very soon after, at a sacrifice, and moved to Griffin. Others in the settlement moved away also. Thus the much talked of town suffered from the impatient population, but only for a brief period. Soon another change came. A better day had dawned, a brighter sun had risen and shed its effulgent rays upon Terminus. The crucial test was soon to be made — a public sale of lots was determined upon. Surveyors were put to work and a number of lots staked off in the woods on Whitehall, between what is now Hunter and Mitchell streets. The sale proved successful and satisfactory — one lot bringing as high as forty-five dollars, a fabulous price in those days !. The year following was not noted for any startling events, although an occasional arrival was looked upon as a good sign for the future. The people at Decatur awoke to a realization of the fact that the new town six miles west of them was indeed a rival. True, they had refused the railroad terminal facilities, as the noise of the locomotives would interfere with their slumbers and the smoke dirty up the town, as they emphatically de- clared; but they soon discovered their mistake, too late, how- ever, to remedy it. The approach of the first railroad to Terminus was hailed with delight by the town. As the Georgia road was to be completed in a short while, the. road began the erection of a depot, putting in the foundations in 1841. This action on 16 PiONEEK Citizens'* the part of the railroad gave new impetus to business, and renewed the waning hopes of the doubting, of whom there were not a few. In 1842 the appearance of Terminus was considerably changed from that of the year previous. There was a cluster of houses in and about the vicinity of the corner of Decatur, Peachtree and Marietta streets, through and about which two roads passed — the one called Whitehall, and the other Mari- etta road. Where the Kimball House now stands, a big forest of oaks gave shelter to the weary traveler, and also served the purposes of a natural park. Great things were in store for the town in this year — it was the attainment of things hoped for, yet unseen. A two-story building was erected by the State Eoad on the ground on Wall street opposite the present union passenger depot. It was used by the road for offices, and later it was converted into a boarding-house, principally for the employes of the State Eoad. One of the arrivals this year was Willis Carlisle. He en- gaged in merchandising in a hut about opposite where the First Presbyterian church now stands, south side of Marietta street, near the corner of Spring street. To him the first white girl child in the town was born. A marked event of this year was the arrival of the first locomotive, which was to be used on the Western and Atlantic Railway. It was hauled in wagons from Madison, Georgia, sixty-five miles, and on its arrival the whole town turned out to see the wonderful piece of mechanism. The engine was put together on the track of the road and made a trip to Marietta, Georgia, on December 24th. The engineer on that occasion was W. F. Adair. A number of citizens made the trip to Marietta, and that town furnished a large party of enthu- siastic citizens who came back with the excursionists. It is said that some of the party who went to Marietta on this occa- History of Atlanta. 17 sion made the engineer promise to stop the train when it ar- rived at the bridge over the Chattahoochee river, and let them get off the cars and walk across the structure. This the en- gineer promised, and faithfully complied with the requests of the over-timid. CHAPTEE IV. MAETHASVILLE. Another Name Selected for the Embryo City — 1843 An Im- portant Year — Governor Lumpkin's Daughter Honored — One of the Characters of Those Days, the Mail Carrier — John C. Calhoun Visits the Town, and Predicts a Great City Here — Jonathan Norcross' Ingenious Sawmill — Lo- cal Affairs Administered by Commissioners — The Trials and Tribulations of the Latter — How the People Lived. 1843 — new arrivals this year, the approach of the lines of transportation, and the decided improvement in busi- ness, made it apparent that the town had outgrown its name. After much discussion among the citizens, and the rejection of many suggestions, it was decided to honor Governor Wilson Lumpkin, then on a visit to Terminus, by naming the town for his daughter, Martha. Thus by an act of the General As- sembly of December 23d, Marthasville was born. But, as will be seen later on, Marthasville was known to fame but a few years. The arrivals about this time began to increase. They came in the old-fashioned covered wagon, sometimes drawn 18 PiONEEK Citizens^ by a yoke of patient oxen, generally bringing their earthly pos- sessions with them ready to set up housekeeping. They were welcomed by an eager populace. The new arrival looked about liim, selected a spot on which to erect a house, either tempo- rarily or permanently — as his means would allow. One of the institutions of the times, before the advent of the railroad, was the mail carrier. This man was almost wor- shipped by the people, since it was he who, in the fierce wintry blast or 'neath a scorching sun "rode the mail" (on a mule generally), the nearest point being Madison, in Morgan coun- ty. When the first whistle of the locomotive was heard in Marthasville, this hitherto popular being became a rather uninteresting fellow. Like Othello, his "occupation was gone." 1844. — One of the marked events of the day — a red-letter day — was a visit to the town by Hon. John C. Calhoun, one of the South's distinguished statesmen. N"o doubt, the town thought it a mark of special favor. Mr. Calhoun, with proph- etic ken, spoke of the great future of the place, suggested a name, and his advice was followed later on. A much appreciated addition to the town was the saw- mill just established by Jonathan Xorcross. As timber was plentiful, the mill never suffered for material. It is related that this mill was the product of Mr. ISTorcross's ingenuity, and he endeavored to secure privileges by applying to the gov- ernment for an exclusive patent. When he arrived in Wash- ington, however, he found, to his amazement, that another party, living in a different section of the country, had already conceived the very same design, and the government, of course, refused to give Mr. Norcross the patent, which appeared to be the prior right of another party. He nevertheless came back, with a good courage, and proceeded to work with a steady purpose. He entered into a contract with the Georgia Eail- History of Atlanta. 19 road — then within a few miles of the town — to supply it with crossties and other timber needed in laying the track, and from the mill of Mr. Norcross was thus procured the material that completed the road to Marthasville. The sawyer for Mr. Norcross was William G. Forsyth. Mr. Norcross gave away a great many slabs, free of charge, to the poorer classes, which were utilized in the erection of houses around the mill. The settlement thus built acquired the name of "Slab Town" and retained the distinction for quite a number of years. "The local affairs of Marthasville were governed by a board of town commissioners, or rather — to speak more prop- erly — its affairs were entrusted to their management, for it was little control that they exercised over the village," says L. L. Knight, in The Constitution. "The number of commissioners was five, and they were named in the charter as follows : Willis Carlisle, John Bailey, Patrick Quinn, L. V. Gannon and John Kile. They were appointed to remain in office until the 1st of March, 1845, and their successors were to be annually chosen thereafter. ***** In order to carry out their duties — which were mainly to preserve the peace of the community and to open new streets for the better improvement of the village — they were authorized by the legislature to impose a slight tax upon the owners of property dwelling within the corporate limits, and were further allowed, by the same authority, to exact fines from such offenders as should violate their local enactments. "The first move of the commissioners was the opening of new streets, and a tax was thereupon levied in order to carry out the purpose. The citizens rose up in rebellion. 'Taxa- tion' was as foul a word to them as it was to the patriots at Bunker Hill, and they stul)bornly refused to pay it. They 20 Pioneer Citizens' did not quote from the 'declaration of independence/ nor from the popular 'Ode to Liberty/ but they told the commissioners, in very decided prose, that they did not care to pay any addi- tional taxes and moreover they would not pay a cent. They considered it quite unnecessary to open any more streets, for they already had enough — there was Marietta, Decatur, Whitehall, Peachtree, Pryor, Loyd and Alabama, seven streets, but if the commission wanted more they could hitch up their mules and plow the ground themselves; no money was to come out of their pockets. Such was the difficulty in opening the streets of Atlanta. "Again, the commissioners put on the judicial ermine and tried to resolve themselves into a court. The accused party, being notified by his friends, that the officers were after him, usually put out for the woods, and there remained, during the daytime, for quite a lengthy period. He managed, hov/- ever, to crawl back at night, enjoy a good supper, and to keep up with the news of the village. ***** "The population of Marthasville, for the year 1845, was about two hundred inhabitants. The area of the place had grown considerably and many of the trees that stood watch over the village, in the year 1842, had long since been felled to the ground, and were either a part of the fence or the house, or else had been burned to ashes upon the 'blazing hearth.' " History of Atlanta. 21 CHAPTEK V. MAETHASVILLE AND THEN ATLANTA. Early Services — The First Preacher and First House of Wor- ship — 1845, the First Newspaper Begins Existence — First School Opened — Judge S. B. Ho3i;'s Eecollec- tions — "Painter" Smith and His Peculiarities — New Storehouses and Hotels — The "Monroe Road," from Macon, Completed in 1847 to Marthasville — Dr. Joseph Thompson's Hotel. 1845. — As yet there were no church buildings in the place, although services were held in such places as offered room. The few hundred inhabitants were religiously inclined. The first edifice erected, devoted especially to the worship of God, was a small log building, on North Pryor, near the corner of Houston street. In this building union services were held — the first preacher being Rev. J. S. Wilson, afterward pastor of the First Presbyterian church. So far, strange to say, no one had the courage to start a newspaper until this year; no doubt the villagers would have enjoyed a paper in which to read about themselves, what they were doing from week to week — not that they didn't know — but it would have been so pleasant to read that "Our fellow townsman. Bill Jones, ever alive to the best interests of the city, had determined to replace the clapboards on his house with shingles," etc. They were soon made happy. W. H. Fonerden established a weekly paper, The Democrat, which was later followed by others. In keeping with the spirit of the times, a school was 22 ' Pioneer Citizens' opened this year, taught by Miss Martha Eeed. The curricu- lum was not very extended, as may be supposed; it included "readin', writin' and 'rithmetic." In those days corporeal punishment was the order of the day; the school-teacher kept a bunch of good wyths in sight of the whole school, and used them when occasion demanded it, and that was every day generally. Boys were not any worse — if as bad — as now, but teachers used the rod freely in those days. Judge S. B. Hoyt was among the number who came to Marthasville in 1845. In an interview with a newspaper a few years ago he says : "I came to Atlanta — or rather Marthasville, as it was then — in April, 1845, arid rode on horseback all the way from my home in East Tennessee. I came to clerk for Mr. Norcross, who was connected with my family by marriage, and I re- mained in the store about six months. I then left to return again in 1851, and ever since then have been a resident of Atlanta. "There were only two highways in the place when I arMved in '45, and they crossed each other at the artesian well, form- ing Whitehall, Peachtree, Marietta and Decatur roads. Whitehall then came to the intersection of Marietta, and did not stop as it does at present at the railroad crossing. It re- ceived its name from a hotel kept by Charner Humphries along the route, and in the present neighborhood of West End. As an illustration of the way in which property has advanced, I will give you a single example. Samuel Mitchell was the owner of land lot No. 77, now including the central part of Atlanta and worth at least $15,000,000. He bought it for a small pony, or a shotgun, tradition is in doubt as to the exact consideration. The titles to the lot were afterwards involved in quite a lengthy dispute. Mr. Mitchell executed a deed to the State for the land on which the passenger depot History of Atlanta. 23 now stands, and also the block north of it, inculding about four acres, for the purpose of the Western and Atlantic Eailroad. The land lot was almost entirely covered with trees, except around the cross-roads. I have gathered chinquapins many a time on both sides of Whitehall street. "It was expected that all of the business houses would be erected on the north side of the town. It was also thought that the ground about the artesian well would be used as a public square, as it was cleared for that purpose. I never thought that Atlanta would beconie a city of a hundred thou- sand inhabitants." One of the peculiar characters about the neighborhood of Marthasville was Painter Smith, He was a second edition of Eip Yan Winkle. Though pretending to have an occupation, he was rarely seen employed, and only then did he sacrifice his leisure for the sake of his mad appetite and the revenue of the village grogshop. Ludicrous in appearance, he excited laughter whenever he Avent about the streets, and he was never in want of an audience when he felt in the humor to talk. It may be stated in this connection that whenever a circle gath- ered about him to hear his jokes or listen to his wierd songs, the crowd was always careful as to the length of the radius. Though Painter was a bad character, it may be truthfully said, he was a good example. No one desired to pattern after his ways, and though impulse excited laughter at his jokes, re- flection was sure to end in pity for his faults. Temeprance was stoutly advocated whenever he drank to excess, and morality, from the crown of his hat, often preached a sermon of good advice to his followers. Improvements were the order of the day; and among those who had come to stay waa Jonathan JSTorcross, who built a small store-room on the southwest corner of Marietta and Peachtree streets. "Cousin John" Thrasher, who had re- 34 Pioneer Citizens' turned, put a store-room in the edge of a chinquapin thicket, on the north side of what is now Decatur street, about half way between the Air Line depot (now Southern) and the corner of Decatur and Peachtree streets. Lemuel Dean put up a two-story house on Marietta road, about two miles west of the present union passenger depot. James Loyd, from whom Loyd street (now Central avenue) was called, erected a large frame building at a point about where the old Markham House stood, east of the union passenger depot. He ran it several years thereafter as a hotel — the "Washington Hall." Mr. Loyd was a public-spirited man, and did much for the advancement of the town. Another hotel was soon to grace the town; Dr. Joseph Thompson, attracted by the likely new place, settled here and erected a very pretentious brick edifice on the ground now occupied by the Kimball House, on Wall street. The house was opened as the "Atlanta Hotel." In 1847 the Monroe Eailroad, which was originally in- tended to run from Macon to Monroe, was changed to the name of the Macon & Western Eailroad. It was completed and commenced running through to Atlanta about the latter part of the year. This road is now part of the Central of Georgia Eailroad. History of Atlanta. 25 CHAPTER VI. ATLANTA. Third and Last Name of the Town — J. Edgar Thompson Suggests "Atlanta" — The Town Obtains a Charter in 1847 From the General Assembly — The First Mayor and Council in 1848 — Officers Elected — Another Eailroad the Year Following — State Agricultural Society Located — Proceedings of Council for One Year. The year of 1847 saw the passing of Marthasville ; the town had grown and prospered, it is true, but the name did not seem to be in keeping with the march of events. Having been twice named, it was a puzzle to find one that would last. After various names had been canvassed, it was decided to adopt the suggestion of Mr. J. Edgar Thompson, chief en- gineer of the Georgia Railroad, who named the town Atlanta. Accordingly, a charter was applied for to the General Assem- bly then in session; it was granted; Atlanta was born. The application was made by Jonathan jSTorcross, John Collier and J. Vaughn. FIRST MAYOR AND COUNCIL. [The records, in chronological order, following this, are based upon notes made by the late James E. Williams, mayor of Atlanta in 1866-7-8, and president of the Pioneer Citizens' Society for many years prior to his death, April 9, 1900.] We come now (1848) to the beginning, proper, of the present metropolitan city: The first election for a board of 26 Pioneer Citizens'" mayor and council, which was held January 31. The result was as follows: Mayor — Moses W. Formwalt; Council — Dr. Benjamin F. Bomar, Jonas F. Smith, James A. Collins, E. M. Bullard, A. M. Walton and L. C. Simpson. The first meeting was held February 2, in the store of Councilman-elect Smith. They elected the following officers at that meeting: Marshal, German M. Lester; Deputy Marshal, Thomas Shivers; City Clerk, L, C. Simpson; City Treasurer, 0. Houston. The minutes further show that, on "February 8th, Simp- son declined, and Eobert M. Clarke was elected clerk. "At a meeting in March, Gershom C. Eogers was granted license to use his tanyard as a slaughter-pen. It was located on a small stream of water at about where is now corner of Forsyth and Brotherton streets." [Note — About the same location, in later years, was occu- pied by Grenville's flour mill, and since the war by Stephens', and afterwards, Crankshaw & Eichardson's planing mills.] April 1, Dr. Joshua Gilbert and Jonathan Xorcross were charged with disorderly conduct. Gilbert was fined ten dol- lars, and the charges against ISTorcross dismissed. "April 3, Councilman Walton resigned, and U. L. Wright was elected m his place. "April 15, permission was granted James and John Lynch to dig a well in the street at the crossing of Whitehall and Alabama streets; and U. L. Wright was authorized to buy a sixty-pound bell for the use of the town. John Collier peti- tioned for a road to run where Walker street now is. "July 3, a board of health was elected, as follows : Dr. IST, L. Angler, James Boring, Sol. Goodall, John F. Mims, Eob- ert Carr, William Herring, James Loyd, Dr. J. Gilbert and Dr. G. G. Smith. "July 28, Eobert M. Clarke resigned, and Joseph B. Clapp was elected clerk. History of Atlanta. 27 "July 31, R. M. Ballard resigned, and H. C. Holcombe was elected councilman. "October 23, J. A. Hayden and John Collier petition to have Walker street opened, and petition of William Kidd granted to grade (at his expense) Whitehall street from Ala- bama to railroad crossing. "November 6, J. L. Harris was elected clerk. "Whitehall street was ordered opened to Humphrey's road, and the committee on public improvements instructed to put up a horse-rack at the postoffice. "Noveml^er 11, Council ordered bridge on Hunter street to be widened and raised. [This bridge was between where Loyd and South Pryor streets now run, and was to cross a small stream of water which now flows in the large trunk sewer from the union passenger depot, south, nearly along South Pryor and Loyd streets.] "December 28, E. T. Hunnieutt was appointed deputy marshal. 28 Pioneer Citizens' CHAPTEK VII. THE SECOND BOAED OF MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. Treasurer Ordered to Issue $500 in Bonds — Proceedings of Council Published in The Intelligencer, by Order of Council — Another Railroad Comes to Town — John F. Trout Puts Up a Hotel — Some Arrivals — Er. Lawshe, John F. Trout, Green J. Foreacre, John Silvey — Churches and Newspapers Multiplying. January 17, 184.9, a new board of mayor and Council qualified, as follows: The following qualified as city oificials: Mayor, Dr. Ben- jamin Bomar; Council, Jonas S. Smith, Ira 0. McDaniel, A. B. Forsyth, P. M. Hodge, Julius A. Hayden and H. C. Holcombe. Salaries of officials were fixed as follows: Mar- shal, $300 per annum; Treasurer, 3 per cent, for receiving and paying out; Tax Receiver and Collector, 3 per cent. Clerk to have fees of office. Committee on Police and Finance — Forsyth and Hodge. Committee on Streets — McDaniel, Smith and Hayden, February 7, city tax fixed at 30 cents per $100, for 1849. February 14, 300 copies of City Ordinances were ordered printed. April 14, the treasurer authorized to issue $500 six months bonds. July 30, Council proceedings ordered published in Daily Intelligencer. October 4, Couneilmen Bomar, Hayden, McDaniel and History of Atlanta. 29 Eorsyth were appointed a committee to select a place for a graveyard. Another railroad ! The town begins to put on airs, even to to being a little haughty; the Atlanta & West Point Eailroad was completed in this year — making the fourth line for the ambitious place. And yet more improvements, locally. Mr. John F. Trout moved to Atlanta and soon erected a very creditable building, three-story brick, on the southwest cor- ner of Decatur and Pryor streets, and opened it as a hotel, ■calling it the '"'Trout House." One of the additions to the town at this time was Er. Lawshe, whose subsequent career was marked by a life of en- •ergy and devotion to his new home. Another was Mr. John Silvey, the former head of the large wholesale dry goods house •of the John Silvey Company. 1850 — ]\ot quite three years old, this bantling of a town began to crow lustily — a characteristic of the people ever .since. It proved a drawing card ; people everywhere talked of the rising young city in the mountains of ISTorth Georgia. ■Churches, schools and newspapers multiplied. One of the men destined to figure largely in the railroad world, as it afterward fell out, who came here in this year, was Colonel Green J. Poreacre, a conductor on the Macon ■& Western Eailroad, afterward superintendent, and subse-