Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-16
MRS. MARTHA COMPTON
DEAD At DECATUR HOME
Woman for Whom Atlanta
Was Named Mournad
by State

Mrs. Martha Atalanta Lumpkin Comp
ton. for whom Atlanta was named when
II was the village OF Marthasville. died
Tuesday night at $50 O'Clock at her
home at Line street IN Decatur.
Mrs. compton would have been ninety
years old next August, and until about
a year ago she enjoyed good health.
Lately she has been. very feeble. Some
weeks ago an attack Of grip brought
her down, and she did not have the
strength 70 overcome IL.
Mrs Compton was daughter OF Will
son Lunpk.n. one OF the pioneer se:-
Tiers Of Georgia and the governor OF
the state from 1881 to 1895.
lie .:as horn in Virginia in 1888 and
was brought to Georgia in 1885 by his
father. John Lumpkin, who settled in
Oglethorpe county. Wilson Lumpkin
moved 10 Walton county, near the site
OF the present town OF Monroe, when
he was a young man. 1t was there. IN
two-room log house which Wilson
Lumpkin. bUilt for a kitchen when later
his main house should be built, that
Mrs. Compton was born.
Two years later Wilson Lumpkin
moved back &c Oglethorpe county and
was elected governor a short while aft
erwards. When he retired from the
governors office he built a stone house
on n hill overlooking the campus of
the University of Georgia in Athens.
Mrs. Compton lived in that house for
seventy-fiye years, until her removal
eight years ago TO the cottage in Deca-
tUr where she died. The house is still
as sound as a new dollar and is now the
property Of the university, having been
decided to that institution by Mrs. Comp
ton.
NEAR RELATIVES DEAD.
Mrs. Compton mad two brothers and
three sisters all Of whom are long since
dead. Her surviving relatives are cou-
sins and nephews and nieces. Most of
these are second cousins and great
nephews and great nieces. as the relA-
tives OF her corresponding generation
are practically all dead
INTERESTING CAREER.
Mrs. Compton vas a woman OF re-
markable mind and her recollectionE of
the early history of Georgia and OF At
lanta would have made an absorbing
story If they had ever been put in writ
ing.
She was her fathers favorite child
and her father was her favorite love.
In all OF her "reminiscences of the days
Of her youth he was always the princi-
ral figure.
Wilson Lumpkin was one OF the fore
most men OF Georgia Besides serving
as governor, congressman and United
States senator-during which latter
service he was associated with Henry
Clay, John c. Calhoun, Daniel Webster
and other famous men of American his
tory-he played other important parts
ir the history OF the state. He estab-
lished the boundary line between Geor-
Eia and Florida, surveyed the Cherokee
Indian lands in north Georgia, and was
one of the prime movers in building the
Western and Atlantic railroad from At
lanta to Chattanooga.
1t was in connection with the state
road that the name of his daughter was
given to the name OF Marthasville
Samuel Mitchell. OF Pike county, owned
the land on which the Union station now
stands. Governor Lumpkin secured
from him deed TO the site Of the sta
ton. Governor Lumpkn and Colonel
Charles F. NJ. Garnett. chief engineer
for the state OF Georgia, could not agree
on a name for the southern terminus
OF the state road. The name Terminus"
they agreed, at Colonel Garnett's sug-
gestion, on the name Marthasville, in
honor Of little Martha Lumpkin, the gov
ernor's youngest daughter.
CITYS LATER NAME.
As to the origin of the name Atlanta,
which was given to the city about 1916
or 1s47, there has been some difference
OF opinion.
II was Mrs. Compton's claim that
her father gave her the name "Atalanta"
when she was a little child, because of
the fact that she displayed such swift
ness and grace, the name being taken
thology.
And this, according to Mrs. Compton,
was the origin Of the name Atlanta"
which was made the official name Of
the city when II was incorporated by
act OF the legislature in 1S47.
During her residence in Decatur Mrs.