The History Press

The largest civilian cemetery in the Southeast holds the history of famous and infamous alike.

In 1884, several leading citizens purchased 577 acres to open Atlanta's Westview Cemetery. The rolling terrain, part of which was a site in the Civil War battle of Ezra Church, became the final resting place for more than 100,000 people. Prominent locals buried here include Grant Park namesake L.P. Grant, author Joel Chandler Harris, High Museum benefactor Harriet High, Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler Sr. and Havertys founder J.J. Haverty. The cemetery's Westview Abbey mausoleum is one of the nation's largest, with more than eleven thousand crypts. Throughout its history, Westview dabbled in other business ventures, including a cafeteria, a funeral home and an ambulance service. And for decades, the cemetery's Westview Floral Company sold flowers to lot owners and local businesses, leading to its own advice column in the Atlanta Constitution. Author Jeff Clemmons traces the complete history of this treasured necropolis.

Georgia historian and professor Jeffery C. Wells recounts the tragic tale of the Camp Creek Train Crash of 1900.

On June 23, 1900, the Southern Railroad Company's Engine ,7 and its passengers were greeted by a tremendous storm en route to Atlanta, Georgia. Stalled for some time in nearby McDonough, travelers grew impatient as rain pelted the roof and wind buffeted the cars. When finally given the go-ahead, their resulting joy was short-lived: the locomotive soon reached Camp Creek--and disaster.

After weeks of constant showers, the swollen creek had eroded the bridge supports. Under the train's weight, the bridge collapsed, and all but nine perished in either the fiery fall or watery depths.

Named for the famous Spanish explorer who was said to have discovered the Fountain of Youth, Atlanta's Ponce de Leon Avenue began as a simple country road that conveyed visitors to the famous healing springs.

Now, few motorists realize that the avenue, one of Atlanta's major commuter thoroughfares, was a prestigious residential street in Victorian Atlanta, home to mayors and millionaires. An economic turn in the twentieth century transformed the avenue into a crime-ridden commercial corridor, but in recent years, Atlantans have rediscovered the street's venerable architecture and storied history. Join local historian Sharon Foster Jones on a vivid tour of the avenue - from picnics by the springs in hoopskirts and Atlanta Crackers baseball to the Fox Theatre and the days when Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Al Capone lodged in the esteemed hotels lining this magnificent avenue.

Author Lee Lancaster unearths the delectable history and classic recipes of the Peach State's top vegetable.

The Vidalia onion may be small, but it's as sweet as an onion can be, and it means big business for Georgia, too. Officially christened the Georgia State Vegetable in 1990, it can only be grown in Southeast Georgia. Once sold mostly off a truck tailgate, Vidalia onions now produce an annual crop worth $150 million. And after years of perfecting and fighting off posers and pirates, Vidalia onions are presented as gifts to presidents, governors, close friends and relatives. They are hand planted and handpicked but worth all the trouble to produce the King of the Onion Rings. They are so good, they have their own Vidalia Onion Museum, mascot named Yumion, and a Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame. Vidalia, there's just something about that name.

Food is at the heart of Atlanta, and here discover iconic dishes, notorious restaurants, and the rich culinary history of this Southern city.

Atlanta's cuisine has always been an integral part of its identity. From its Native American agricultural roots to the South's first international culinary scene, food has shaped this city, often in unexpected ways. Trace the evolution of iconic dishes like Brunswick stew, hoecakes and peach pie while celebrating Atlanta's noted foodies, including Henry Grady, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nathalie Dupree. Be transported to the beginnings of notable restaurants and markets, including Durand's at the Union Depot, Busy Bee Café, Mary Mac's Tearoom, the Municipal Market and the Buford Highway Farmers Market. With fourteen historic recipes, culinary historian Akila Sankar McConnell proves that food will always be at the heart of Atlanta's story.

Savannah's storied history begins with Native Americans.

The Guales lived along the Georgia coast for hundreds of years and were the first to encounter Spanish missionaries from St. Augustine in the 1500s. Tomochichi of the Yamacraw tribe is lauded as the co-founder of Georgia for his efforts in helping James Oglethorpe establish the Savannah colony in the eighteenth century. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson forced southeastern Native American tribes to resettle in the West, including descendants of the Savannah Creek, who had fought by Jackson's side at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Michael Freeman explores the legacy of coastal Georgia's Native Americans and the role they played in founding Savannah.

Chilling tales from north Georgia, where even the outhouses are haunted!

North Georgia is home to more than its fair share of ghosts, from scenic antebellum mansions to restaurants, mills and even an outhouse. Reverend Robert William Bigham of Coweta County received a supernatural visit from his wife after her untimely death. The night watchman at an Elberton cotton mill became acquainted with three haunting visitors in his four decades at the mill. Hikers on Lookout Mountain were surprised to discover a mysterious house eerily decorated with magical symbols and bones. Author Jim Miles reveals the most terrifying ghost stories from each county in the region.

The Golden Isles are home to a long and proud African American and Gullah Geechee heritage.

Ibo Landing was the site of a mass suicide in protest of slavery, the slave ship Wanderer landed on Jekyll Island and, thanks to preservation efforts, the Historic Harrington School still stands on St. Simons Island. From the Selden Normal and Industrial Institute to the tabby cabins of Hamilton Plantation, authors Amy Roberts and Patrick Holladay explore the rich history of the region's islands and their people, including such local notables as Deaconess Alexander, Jim Brown, Neptune Small, Hazel Floyd and the Georgia Sea Island Singers.

Savannah, Georgia was home to one of the most notable Civil War moments, naval battles, and has a deep Civil War past. Noted local filmmaker and author tells the stories of Savannah's deep engagement in the conflict.

Union general William T. Sherman cemented Savannah's most notable Civil War connection when he ended his "March to the Sea" there in December 1864. However, more fascinating stories from the era lurk behind the city's ancient, moss-draped live oaks. A full-scale naval battle raged between ironclad warships just offshore. More than seven thousand prisoners were confined in the area surrounding Forsyth Park. And on March 21, 1861, the present-day Savannah Theatre was the site of one of the most inflammatory and controversial speeches of the entire war. Noted local filmmaker and author Michael Jordan delves deep into this fabled city's Civil War past.

The history of this quintessential Southern town is best enjoyed on a sunny afternoon with a big glass of sweet tea.

Whether it's the battle for a bridge, the loss of life and limb by cannon fire, or the efforts of the community to fight a fire and save the old statehouse, readers will delight in this journey through Milledgeville's important and often colorful past. Milledgeville's resident and local historian Hugh Harrington leads visitors and locals alike through the fascinating and often bizarre stories of life in the antebellum capital of Georgia. Harrington's "'Round and About'? column has appeared in the Baldwin Bulletinover 100 times, and his work as appeared in other publications such as Georgia Backroads, Georgia Historical Quarterly, America's Civil War, Muzzle Blasts, and more. He is also the author of Civil War Milledgeville: Tales from the Confederate Capital of Georgia and More Milledgeville Memories.

In 1867, less than three years after the Civil War left the city in ruins, Hungarian Jewish immigrant Morris Rich opened a small dry goods store on what is now Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.

Over time, his brothers Emanuel and Daniel joined the business; within a century, it became a retailing dynasty. Join historian Jeff Clemmons as he traces Rich's 137-year history. For the first time, learn the true stories behind Penelope Penn, Fashionata, The Great Tree, the Pink Pig, Rich's famous coconut cake and much more, including how events at the downtown Atlanta store helped John F. Kennedy become America's thirty-fifth president. With an eye for accuracy and exacting detail, Clemmons recounts the complete history of this treasured southern institution.

The Highs and Lows of Little Five Points documents the transformations of Atlanta's first Neighborhood Commercial District.

Atlanta's Little Five Points, the city's first Neighborhood Commercial District, stands out as one of the most distinctive shopping districts in the Southeast. There have been quite a few ups and downs in the area's history, but ultimately the dedicated, passionate individuals who made L5P what it is today handled them with perseverance and foresight, creating unique, independently owned stores that draw the most eclectic mix of people found anywhere in Atlanta. The cultural melting pot created by these stores is what makes Little Five Points such a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Join author Robert Hartle Jr. as he tells the story of the revitalization of Little Five Points, including firsthand accounts from longtime L5P business owners who were actually there and who helped to save the area from the many threats to its survival.