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It’s hard to imagine Atlanta as anything other than Georgia’s biggest city, but believe it or not, Atlanta wasn’t founded because of a river, a port, or even a gold rush. The city exists because of a railroad.
Back in 1837, Georgia leaders wanted a better way to connect the state to the growing western frontier. They chose a spot where the new Western & Atlantic Railroad would end, and that location became known simply as Terminus—literally the end of the line. There wasn’t much there at first, but businesses, workers, and families quickly followed the railroad, turning the tiny settlement into a growing community.
As the town grew, people decided “Terminus” wasn’t exactly the catchiest name. In 1843, it became Marthasville, named after Martha Lumpkin, the daughter of former Georgia Governor Wilson Lumpkin. Just two years later, the name changed again—this time to Atlanta, inspired by the Western & Atlantic Railroad that gave the city its start. The new name stuck, and on December 29, 1847, Atlanta was officially incorporated as a city.
The railroad continued to shape Atlanta’s future. By the time of the Civil War, the city had become one of the South’s most important transportation hubs. Rail lines connected Atlanta to cities across the region, making it a center for moving people, supplies, and goods. That importance also made it a major military target during the war.
After the Civil War, Atlanta bounced back surprisingly fast. In 1868, just a few years after much of the city had been destroyed, Georgia moved its state capital from Milledgeville to Atlanta. The decision reflected Atlanta’s growing population, booming economy, and unmatched railroad connections. That move helped cement Atlanta’s place as the political and economic heart of Georgia—a title it still holds today.
The next time you’re driving through downtown or catching a flight out of Hartsfield-Jackson, remember that Atlanta owes its existence to transportation. What started as nothing more than the end of a railroad line grew into one of the most influential cities in the Southeast—and it all began with a place called Terminus.
