History

Everyone knows Georgia is a hands-free state, but you might not have heard that in Atlanta, it’s illegal to give a piggyback ride. Read on to discover a few of Georgia’s oldest laws that are technically still on the books.

It’s true: Walking a direct route from Smyrna, GA, to near Cedartown, AL, is actually possible.

During the Civil War, the Battle of Utoy Creek took place August 4-7, 1864, just south of Atlanta. Hundreds of soldiers lost their lives during the fight and the trenches forged can still be seen today in the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve.

Another mixed-use development called GlenCastle, located within walking distance of the BeltLine’s future Southside trail, is well underway. While the future of these historic properties is exciting, their history is also fascinating.

Born to an enslaved mother and, likely, her white master, Alonzo Herndon was emancipated at age 7. By age 20, he headed to Atlanta on foot with $11 and little schooling.

This weekend, millions will hoist a drink or two and toast St. Patrick, not knowing or caring his life had little to do with the legend we were taught and continue to celebrate to this day.

March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect and honor the many achievements of women through history and celebrate those making vast strides today. Atlanta is home to countless trailblazers from civil rights leaders and politicians to businesswomen and beyond.

The Old Atlanta Prison Farm – also known as the Honor Farm – has quite the dark and menacing past. The prison’s hundreds of acres of land were initially purchased to act as a cemetery for the Civil War, but were later turned into a liberal experiment once owned and operated by the United States Federal Penitentiary.

Beneath the floor of Atlanta-based Oglethorpe University lies a 2,000-cubic-foot stone room, covered by a 7-foot-thick stone roof and sealed airtight with stainless steel.

Learning about our nation’s history is easier than ever. Since the National Center for Civil and Human Rights opened in downtown Atlanta, visitors and locals alike can engage with the displays at this informative cultural attraction, connecting the American Civil Rights Movement to today’s Global Human Rights crisis.

The restored cyclorama painting, “The Battle of Atlanta,” will once again be on public display beginning Feb. 22 at the Atlanta History Center, 127 years to the day after its initial Atlanta debut.

Located right in the heart of Atlanta, The Millennium Gate Museum strives to preserve and interpret Georgia’s history, art, culture and philanthropic heritage.

Long before Bill Murray released his 1993 cult-classic film “Groundhog Day,” Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, was already on the map. In 1887, a newspaper editor rallied a group of businessmen and groundhog hunters to sell people on the idea that we’ll either kiss winter goodbye or have six more weeks of it – dependent upon a groundhog.

In the early 1900s, Atlanta experienced heavy congestion from horses, cars, pedestrians and trains. To solve this, a series of viaducts were built to move the city above train tracks. These viaducts covered the lower parts of buildings, causing merchants to reopen storefronts on higher ground.

Celebrated on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national federal holiday honoring the influential American leader’s life and achievements in the battle for civil rights. Most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation, Dr. King has been an inspirational source for many to stand up for all types of change and justice.

When it comes to New Year’s traditions, the South has some pretty tasty ones – pork, collard greens, black-eyed peas, cornbread – but there are many more celebrated around the world.

Let’s take it back nearly 400 years ago to the first Thanksgiving. When the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth in 1621, their table looked a little different than ours do now. While no records exist of their exact menu, we know turkey was served…alongside wild hens, seafood and venison.

When gazing at Atlanta’s skyline, the distinct cylindrical shape of the Westin Peachtree Plaza immediately draws the eye. Opened in 1976, the hotel was designed by renowned architect John Portman and, at the time, was the city’s tallest building.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Druid Hills looks like a home plucked from a storybook. Henry Hornbostel, responsible for the Williamsburg Bridge in New York, designed the Tudor revival-style home completed in 1920.

The pleasant-looking bridge over Nickajack Creek is anything but, according to those who’ve traveled it. During the 1800s, several children came to their demise near the landmark.

“Betsy, will you meet me, in heaven above…” These are the cries heard throughout the halls of the Historic Lawrenceville Jail, once sung by a slave whose life ended there.

Adjacent to Piedmont Park in Midtown, Grady was one of the first two high schools established under Atlanta Public Schools in 1872.

The Thornton House, named after the man who built it in 1790, is the oldest restored house in Georgia. It has been moved several times throughout its existence, but is currently located in Stone Mountain.

It’s hard to believe the Georgia-Pacific building in busy, corporate downtown Atlanta stands where “Gone With the Wind” premiered in 1939.

In honor of Halloween, this month we’re highlighting some of Atlanta’s real-life haunted places, beginning with The Ellis Hotel.

Opened in 1960, jazz club La Carrousel featured mega-famous headliners such as Aretha Franklin. Its other claim to fame: La Carrousel was Atlanta’s first racially integrated nightclub.

Jacobs’ Pharmacy – the site of the first Coca-Cola sale – was founded in 1879 by Dr. Joseph Jacobs. The downtown Five Points space quickly became one of the city’s most popular pharmacies – which, back then, were more like general stores that also sold medicine.

Coca-Cola and Atlanta began their iconic relationship 130 years ago when Atlanta pharmacist and former Confederate colonel Dr. John Pemberton sold the elixir at Jacob’s Pharmacy.

The old Sears building, built in 1925, had become an abandoned 2.1-million-square-foot ruin. Visit the property now and you’ll fight for a parking space as crowds flock to Ponce City Market’s mix of shops, restaurants, apartments and the playground/beer garden/rooftop with a killer view of our city.

One of three penitentiary facilities created by the 1891 Three Prisons Act, which also created the Federal Prison System, sits just southeast of our city.