Atlanta Catholic Centennial

After the location of the railroad junction it was called Terminus, but it was two years before a house, intended for a home, was built. John Thrasher built a house in 1839 and used it for a home and commissary. It was on Marietta Street where the Federal Reserve Bank now stands, and was not much better than the shanties that had been used by the railroad hands.

For the next three years only a few people made the new settlement their home. In 1842 the first child, Julia Carlisle, was born. Also in this year the first railroad engine entered Atlanta. It was brought from Madison, Georgia, on a wagon drawn by sixteen mules. The Western and Atlantic Railroad had been completed from Terminus to Marietta and on December 24, 1842, the engine, pulling a box car, made the trip from Terminus to Marietta, Georgia. In 1843 the settlement was incorporated and was named Marthasville, after the youngest daughter of former Governor Wilson Lumpkin. The people of the village did this to honor him because of the interest he had shown in the new town.

To those who visioned a great city the name of Marthasville did not seem appropriate. The Georgia Railroad from Augusta to the new town was completed in 1845, the first train running through from Augusta to Marthasville September 15, 1845. This event led to the changing of the name of the fast growing town. We will quote Mr. Richard Peters:

Atlanta, Georgia
May 9, 1871

Mr. W. R. Hanleiter --

Dear Sir:

In answer to your note, asking me to give you some information relative to the naming of Atlanta, I will state that in the year 1845, J. Edgar Thompson, Esq., the present distinguished civil engineer and railroad king, was chief engineer of the Georgia Railroad. Atlanta was then known as Marthasville. At that date I was the superintendent and resident engineer of the finished portion of the road, from Augusta to Covington, and it became part of my duty to arrange the freight lists and to notify the public of the opening of the road from Covington to Marthasville.

I was not satisfied with the name given, a point that, even at that early day, had become somewhat notorious by the Hon. John C. Calhoun, who, on passing through to the Memphis convention, prophesied a great city in the future. I wrote to Mr. Thompson, who then resided in Madison, asking him to think of a name that would suit the place better. His reply was, in substance, as follows: 'Eureka -- Atlanta, the terminus of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Atlantic, masculine; Atlanta, feminine -- a coined word -- and if you think it will suit, adopt it'. I was delighted with the suggestion and in a few days issued the circulars adopting the name, and had them generally distributed throughout Georgia and Tennessee, and at the next session of the Legislature, the act of incorporation was changed by inserting Atlanta in place of Marthasville.

Yours truly,

Richard Peters

The depot was named Atlanta and the name grew in use and popularity and was adopted by the people of Marthasville and on December 29, 1847, the Legislature passed an act incorporating the City of Atlanta. And our city has continued to be -- ATLANTA.

While we have outlined the official conception in 1835 and 1836 of a railroad junction, and the city's birth in 1837 by actual location of the point called Terminus, we should remember there were people living in what is now Atlanta earlier than 1837. Hardy Ivy bought a farm in 1833, the southwestern corner being a little to the east of the present intersection of Pryor Street and Edgewood Avenue. He built a log cabin about three-quarters of a mile east and somewhat to the north of this point, his house being within the original city limits of Atlanta. He built his house about 1833 and became unintentionally the oldest inhabitant within these first city limits.

Actually the first community of settlers inside the present city limits were right here in West End about two blocks from the present location of St. Anthony's Church, and it was from this settlement that Atlanta received its first popular, if not official, name -- Whitehall.

Our original citizen of West End was Charner Humphries. He built White Hall House, a public inn, on the block now bounded by Lee, Oak, Whitehall and Zachry Streets. Although this section was not annexed to Atlanta until after his death, he was possessed with what was known in later years as the “Atlanta Spirit.” He was progressive and was the first person in this region to paint his house. His inn was a two-story building and was painted white. White Hall was built between 1825 and 1833. Militia Musters were held at this settlement. In 1837 at a committee meeting of Georgia Baptists appointed to organize Mercer University, Whitehall was suggested as a location because of the convergence of the future railroads and travel at this point it was believed would develop into a large commercial center. The suggestion came near to adoption. This community which developed into West End was outside the original one-mile radius which marked Atlanta's original city limits and was not annexed until November 20, 1893.

This city was called Atlanta when it was officially Marthasville; it was called Whitehall when it was officially Terminus, so we will list its name in the order of their popular use: Whitehall, Terminus, Marthasville, Atlanta.