Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-01
THE EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH OF
ALTA MIA

N n MEMORY goes back to 1912, when
M 1 first saw the ground, which was
MarthasVille, but later Atlanta, has
since occupied. This was eighty-two years
ago, and the scrubby growth this ground
was repellent, as to future farm prospects,
and the land was generally called poor
chinquapin rdge!" 1t is tradition that Hon
John G. Calhoun passed along this way when
there was only talk Of railroad, but he
glimpsed future greatness if his words were
correctly reported. He said there would be
big city herea6outs. Generally great cities
must have big river or water frontage Of
some sort to attract city builders, but At
lanta pre-empted a dry chinquapin ridge,
with the Chattahoochee river seven eight
miles distant The water supply was con-
fined to few springs and many wells, each
property owner digging his own we'll for per-
sonal use and maintenance.
But Atlantas chinQuapin ridge was really
the dividing land-that sends the waters on
one side into the Atlantic ocean, and on the
other side into the Gulf of Mexico The Chat
tahOochee waters turn to the gulf, and the
Alcova and Oconee rivers turn towards the
Atlantic ocean
1t was many, many years before Atlanta
ventured to bring water from the Chatta-
hoochee river into the city limits and there
were only hook and ladders, with bucket
brigades, to fight conflagrations.
Decatur was the county site, until Fulton
county was formed with Atlanta as the
county site. | well remember a big smallpox
scare that started in Atlanta, in Thompson s
hotel, and the jail prisoners were conveyed
to the Decatur jail for safekeeping That
occurred in 1S49. Our family fled to the
river farm and the ups and downs were
many. The doctors experienced great diff
Guilty in securing vaccine matter for vaccina-
ton. Some of us were treated with little
slivers of ancient scabs obtained as I recol
lect, in. Charleston, S. c.. With common
lancet the skin lifted on the arm and a
bit of scab was inserted, pushed under, and
sometimes it took and sometimes it ddn't t.
Up to that time smallpox was not known in
this part of Georgia. AS recall, several per
sons died IN Atlanta. Thompson's hotel oc-
cupied the present site of the Kimball House
and was from the beginning a head center
Tor Georgia politics. The bloody encounter
between Hon. Alex stephens and Judge Cone
of Greensboro, occurred in this Thompson's
hotel Little Aleck" the idol of the
Wings and nearerrthe peak of his political
popularity at that time, perhaps, than ever
again.
There were small oaks in the rear of
Thompson's hotel. Visitors hitched their
horses in these woods. until livery stables
came along in course of time.
Whitehall street captured the stores and
shops, and has seemed to hold it's grip I'D
to date.
When Sherman reached Atlanta it had
grown amazingly. When he captured it the
Confederacy was cut in two parts, and the
tide had turned in defeat.
saw Atlanta when the Union station was
mass of broken brick and mortar. I was
sick for two weeks in a once fine home,
where two big shells had passed through the
second story and the shells did not explode,
but went on their way to break up things
further on. When we remember that At
lanta was on the rocks, with everything to do
over again, it is reasonable to inquire, why
does Atlanta grow and grow, while so many
towns stagnate and Wither up?