Atlanta, Texas, a city in Cass County. (original) (raw)

Atlanta depot now houses the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
April 2006 photo courtesy Barclay Gibson

History in a Pecan Shell

Named after the city in Georgia by early settlers from that state, Atlanta was "born" in 1871 when the Texas and Pacific Railroad arrived and the post office opened. Atlanta had 1,500 citizens in 1885 - making it one of the larger towns in the region.

Like much of East Texas, Atlanta's economic engine was timber. The population reached nearly 1,700 just when lumber production was peaking. It had increased to 1,900 as the Great Depression was starting. Atlanta was spared the brunt of the Great Depression due to the discovery of oil in 1935. The population actually gained population and by 1940 there were 2,400 Atlantans.

In the early 1960s the population passed 4,000 and by 1990 it had reached 6,100.

People

Aviation Pioneer by Bob Bowman
"...In 2000, the little black girl from Atlanta who dreamed of a better life was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and, in Atlanta, the main road to the town's airport also bears the name, Bessie Coleman Drive."

Blessie Coleman Cartoon by Roger T. Moore

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