The Western & Atlantic Railroad played a large role in the development of what became metro Atlanta. It was formed to build a state-owned railroad from what later became Atlanta, to the Tennessee River, opening Georgia to trade connections with the Tennessee and Ohio river valleys. In 1845 the partially completed railroad began regular service between Atlanta (which had been renamed from Terminus to Marthasville at that time) and Marietta.
The railroad was established in 1836 and its route completed in 1851, meeting its goal of opening trade between north Georgia and the two major rivers.
The Courier often digs into issues of 19th and early 20th century newspapers on the Georgia Historic Newspapers website housed at the University of Georgia, searching for items on the history of Cobb County and its cities…