It was a normal day at Atlanta’s Union Depot in March 1895. Dozens of horse-driven cabs were parked along the sidewalk by the carshed waiting on possible fares. One of the cab drivers was a colored man by the name of Will Clemons who threw up his hand and said, “Cab, sir. Want a cab, Judge?” … [Read more...]
For Brunswick, Part One
Yellow fever has hit Brunswick. Those five words were reported in The Atlanta Constitution on August 13, 1893 and struck fear into the hearts of every person that read them. Even though Carlos Finlay, a Cuban physician, identified yellow fever was carried by mosquitos as early as 1881, his … [Read more...]
For Brunswick, Part Two
Fear was the first emotion citizens in Atlanta experienced when they heard the plight of the people of Brunswick, Georgia. First the reports of yellow fever cases followed by a hurricane that hit the area on August 27, 1893. The people were starving and needed assistance. One Atlanta man who … [Read more...]
Atlanta’s Lost Landmarks: The Calico House
One of the best-known movers and shakers in Atlanta in the years leading up to the Civil War was Marcus A. Bell – the A stood for Aurelius, a nod to Marcus Aurelius of ancient Rome fame. In fact, Bell was born in 1828 in Elbert County, and his parents named some of their children for men of ancient … [Read more...]
