One of Atlanta’s most venerable places was purchased in 1834 for a mere $450. Sarah and Samuel Walker purchased the site of what is now Piedmont Park before Fulton County or Atlanta existed.
The park was home to a number of global expositions in the 1890s including the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, which attracted 800,000 visitors and promoted Atlanta and the South internationally. Though city of Atlanta leaders believed it to be too far in the country and didn’t see the need for another park after purchasing Grant Park, the city later purchased Piedmont in 1904.
– Mark C. McDonald, Georgia Trust