ATLANTA-1
(Last updated 12/6/00)


Although Atlanta was "officially" founded in 1837, it began as a major Creek Indian settlement along the Chattahoochee River, which divided the Creek Nation from that of the Cherokee; the settlement, known as Standing Peachtree, was the southern terminus of the Creek's Peachtree Trail, which began near Toccoa and ended in what is now the Buckhead area. The state of Georgia erected a crude fort near the site during the War of 1812 to control the Creeks, who were allied with the British, and a small town gradually developed around it; the town, called Terminus, was renamed Marthasville, then finally Atlanta. The city thrived as a railroad center before the Civil War, but was devastated by Sherman's "march to the sea" when 90% of the city's 4000 buildings were destroyed. Aggressive rebuilding, which began almost immediately thereafter, continues unabated.

Digital pix from a walking tour of downtown Atlanta: Georgia's capital was moved to Atlanta in 1868; the State Capitol Building (left), designed by architects Edbrooke and Burnham of Chicago, was built in 1889, restored in 1993 - a close-up of the golden dome (center); reflection of the nearby Immaculate Conception Church - the oldest building in downtown Atlanta, it was spared in 1864 (along with the surrounding neighborhood), thanks to the appeals of its pastor, Father Thomas O'Reilly, to Union General H. W. Slocum

Wyland's Whaling Wall #50 (of 85 so far), an immense mural of 4 right whales 450 ft long and 7 stories high (painted in 1993, restored by the artist in January of 2000), and the World of Coca-Cola enliven a nearby plaza on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive; there's an entrance to Atlanta's Underground (right) at the south end of the plaza

On the site of an old railroad yard beneath viaducts that carried the modern city over its tracks, Underground Atlanta is a lively six block, twelve acre, three level shopping, restaurant, and entertainment area that opened in June of 1989

At the northwest entrance of the Underground (left), the 138-foot light tower on the right is the focal point for Atlanta's New Year's Eve Peach Drop Celebration, which draws crowds of over 300,000; heading north, views along Peachtree Street (center and right)

A sampling of downtown Atlanta's many sculptures and mini-parks

A rap minister doing outreach in a park off Peachtree near Five Points

On the north end of Peachtree (at International Boulevard) in the hotel district, the Carnegie Arch (left), the porch of Max Lager's brew pub (center), and an old church across the street (right)

The Water Gardens (left), a prominent, unifying feature of 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park, located on International just east of Peachtree; the Gateway of Dreams Sculpture (right) depicts the Baron de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement - located in North Park at the start of the 6-acre Great Lawn, it is one of the Park's many sculptures and fountains

Further east on International Boulevard, CNN headquarters (left) - built mostly on viaducts, the area also holds the Phillips Arena (seen from the rear) and the World Congress Center as well; nearby, the Georgia Dome (right)

Further north on Peachtree, the modern architecture of the High Museum, which contains an eclectic collection of masters, modern art, furniture, and Africana

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