USA > Georgia > Fulton County > Atlanta > History of Atlanta, Georgia : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
7 ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02299 2157
HISTORY
OF
ATLANTA, GEORGIA,
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.
EDITED BY . WALLACE P. REED
SYRACUSE, N. Y. D. MASON & CO., PUBLISHERS, - 1889. 1
1729535
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453
TRADE AND . COMMERCE.
It is deemed proper in this connection to briefly review the rebuilding of the city after its destruction by order of General Sherman. This was in Sep- tember, 1864. In November and December of that year, the people began to return, but many of them having made more or less permanent arrangements for winter residence, did not return until the next spring. Before the end of 1865, most of the old citizens had returned, and besides them many others who had been ruined by the war determined to seek their fortunes in what had been for many years looked forward to as the metropolis of Georgia. In 1866 the population of the city exceeded the highest figures it had attained before the war, reaching 20,228, and in 1870 Atlanta had become the second city in the State, being surpassed only by Savannah. The rebuilding at first was carried on without much attempt at style or system. Hundreds of brick and wooden buildings were erected out of the debris of the ruins, that being the only mate- rial at hand, and the putting of it to that use being the most economic way of clearing the ground. Er Lawshe erected the first store on Whitehall street by the removal of a small one-story building from another part of the city. Sim- ilar work was done by many others. Building materials were scarce and high, and in consequence the rents of such buildings as were put up were equally high. This state of things continued for several years, and had a stimulating effect on building operations. By 1869 and 1870 matters had settled down to a more normal and healthy condition. Many of the small buildings and shan- ties had been erected from the necessities of the case immediately after the war, began to be replaced by larger stores, and many splendid residences be- gan to rise in different parts of the city During the four years from 1869 to. 1872, building was carried on on an extensive scale. Some of the larger buildings with the year in which they were erected are as follows : John H. James built his banking house in 1865, and in the same year McNaught & Scrutchins built their store on Whitehall street, and J. C. Peck his planing- mill. O. H. Jones also built fine livery stables for the accommodation of his increasing trade in stock. The Third Baptist Church was built in 1868; E. E. Rawson's store on Whitehall street in 1869; Moore & Marsh's store on Deca- tur street, John H. James's famous residence on Peachtree street, now the gov- ernor's mansion, was also erected that year at a cost of $45,000. In 1870 Louis DeGive built the Opera House, the corner stone of the Church of the Immaculate Conception was laid, the Fourth Baptist Church was built by John H. James, H. I. Kimball built the Kimball House, at a cost of about $500,000, and B. F. Wyly built a handsome residence on Washington street. In 1871 there were erected at least four hundred buildings, among them the Republic Block on Pryor street, the Austell Building on Decatur street, and the Union passenger depot. In 1872 the Fifth Baptist Church was erected by John H. James, a three-story building was erected on Broad street by ex-Governor Brown, a large agricultural warehouse by Mark W. Johnson, and a hardware building by Thomas M. Clarke, besides numerous residences.
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454
HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
In addition to the facilities that were continually added to the business and other departments of the city's life, as indicated by the above review, the facil- ities for obtaining money were being constantly increased, as may be seen by reference to the chapter on the banks. New hardware stores were established, and the wholesale grocery and wholesale dry goods business grew to such pro- portions as had not been witnessed before the war. The real estate business also took a new start, or rather an original start, for there was not much done in the handling of real estate before the war. This proved to be one of the fruitful sources of revenue to an impoverished people, and at the same time a business grew up which had not been of any importance to the growth of the city before that time. The building of the Air Line Railroad aided largely the growing commerce of the city, as has its operation ever since. The cot- ton trade also grew immensely. In 1867 the receipts were only 17,000 bales, but a few years later the receipts ran up to 20,000 bales, then to 32,000, then 55,000, then 65,000, then 90,000, and in 1881 the receipts were 130,000 bales. Since that time the receipts have fluctuated, but in 1884, when they were larger than in any other year, they reached 171,000 bales.
During recent years the buildings erected in the city have been for the' most part of a higher and finer character than formerly. This is a fair indica- tion of the city's growth and prosperity. A few of these finer buildings will be found referred to in this connection. The present executive mansion has been mentioned as having been erected in 1868, W. H. Parkins, architect, at a cost of $45,000. The following buildings, also designed by him, were erected in the years indicated: the Church of the Immaculate Conception in 1869, a mass- ive Gothic structure, at the corner of Loyd and Hunter streets, costing $80,- 000, the First M. E. Church building, in 1876, at the junction of Peachtree and Pryor streets, costing $70,000; the first Kimball House, in 1870, five stories high, costing about $500,000. This house was burned down October 12, 1883, and the present Kimball House erected immediately afterward at a cost, including furnishing, of $650,000. In 1870, Trinity M. E. Church was erected, which is described in the history of the organization The Jewish Synagogue was erected in 1873, at a cost of about $25,000. And besides these, there have been erected a large number of houses costing all the way from $5,000 to $40,000. G. L. Norrman has designed a large number of fine buildings, among them the Cotton Exposition building, which was erected in 1881, at a cost of $50,000. It is of a cruciform shape, 700x500 feet in size. The Stone Hall of the Atlanta University, in 1883, the Gate City National Bank building, in 1887, which cost $125,000, the two buildings of the Piedmont Exposition, the main building costing about $25,000, and the other $50,000, and the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, one of most attractive buildings in the city, erected in 1888. Besides these he has designed a large number of private residences costing from $5,000 to $60,000. E. G. Lind has been the architect of a large number
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TRADE AND COMMERCE.
of buildings in Atlanta and in the suburban towns, among those in the city being the Jackson building at the corner of Pryor and Alabama streets, erected in 1882, at a cost of $30,000, and Boyd & Baxter's furniture factory, erected in 1887, at a cost of $20,000. The principal public buildings designed by L. B. Wheeler, are the Chamberlin & Boynton building on Whitehall street, and the Constitution building, and besides these a large number of private residences. Bruce & Morgan have also designed some of the finest buildings in the city, among them the Traders' Bank Building on Decatur street, which was com- pleted in the fall of 1888.
From this brief resume it will be seen that the city has a large number of both public and private buildings which are both large and costly, and that it is on the whole well and substantially built.
The business of Atlanta is now very large and represented by a large num- ber of houses in the various lines. Following is a statement of the numbers and dealers in most of the different classes of business: abstracts of title, two; agricultural implement dealers, seven ; architects, nine; artists, fifteen ; artists' material, seven; bakers and confectioners, nineteen; banks and bankers, fifteen; belting and hose, six; blacksmiths, forty; boarding-houses, sixty-four; boiler manufacturers, two; bookbinders, eight; book publisliers, eight; booksellers and stationers, fourteen; wholesale boots and shoes, six; retail boots and shoes, twenty-nine ; boot and shoemakers, eighty-one; brass goods, three ; brewers, five; brick manufacturers, seven; bridge builders, three; bond and stock brokers, nine; commission brokers, four; cotton brokers, two; flour and grain brokers, eight; iron brokers, two; loan brokers, three; merchandise brokers, twenty-eight; money brokers, three; provision brokers, three; rail- road ticket brokers, five; broom manufacturers, fifteen; cabinetmakers, five; carriage and wagon manufacturers, thirteen; manufacturers of chemicals, five ; chemists, analytical, three; cigar manufacturers, three, wholesale dealers, ten, retail dealers, fifteen; civil engineers and surveyors, three; wholesale clothing, four; retail clothing, thirty-two; coal and wood, fifty; manufacturing confec- tioners, twelve; contractors and builders, twenty-three; cotton buyers, seven; cotton mills, three; dentists, sixteen; dressmakers, thirty-nine; druggists, wholesale, seven, retail, forty-five; wholesale dry goods, six; retail dry goods, thirty-seven; electrical supples, four; embalmers, five; engines and boilers, ten; engravers, four; fertilizers, nineteen; florists, eight; wholesale flour, nine- teen; flour and grist- mills, four; founders and machinists, thirteen; fruits, wholesale, ten, retail, twenty-seven; furniture manufacturers, seven; furni- ture dealers, twenty-six; general stores, sixteen ; wholesale grocers, thirty- seven, retail, four hundred; hardware, nine; harnessmakers, eight; wholesale hats and caps, four, retail, twelve; hay, grain and feed, twenty-two; hotels, twenty-five; house furnishing goods, nine; ice manufacturers, three; ice cream, eight; insurance agents, forty-seven; accident insurance companies,
WY
456
HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
seven; fire insurance companies, forty-two; life insurance companies, twenty- one; iron works, five; land companies, three; laths and shingles, sixteen; laundries, six; lawyers, two hundred and fifty; leather and findings, six; lime and cement, seven; livery stables, ten; lumber dealers, thirty; marble dealers, six; mattress manufacturers, six; meat markets, eighty-three ; medicine man- "ufacturers, twelve; men's furnishing goods, twenty-three; milk depots, nine; wholesale millinery, two, retail, twelve; music teachers, fifteen; wholesale no- tions, six, retail, eighteen ; fresco painters, eleven; paper dealers, eight ; pho- tographers, seven; physicians, two hundred and eighty; piano and organ dealers, four; planing-mills, sixteen; plumbers, ten; printers, twenty; real estate dealers, twenty-six; restaurants, twenty-two; sewing machine agents, nine; stereotypers, seven; stoves and tinware, eight; merchant tailors, twelve; wagonmakers, six; jewelers, twenty-eight; wholesale liquors, six; retail liquors, forty; wood-working machinery, five; and many others which it would even be more tedious to detail.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.
P REVIOUS to the war the manufactures of Atlanta were few in number, and of comparatively small importance. There were, however, some that were of value to the city and surrounding country, and which are worthy of remembrance.
The first manufacturing establishment in Atlanta was a saw-mill erected in 1844 by Jonathan Norcross. It was located between the present sites of the Atlantic and West Point depot and the Air Line depot. It was propelled by horse-power, the power having been an invention of Mr. Norcross; but the invention having been previously made and patented, as Mr. Norcross learned upon himself making application for a patent at Washington, he could not secure a patent for his invention. This power consisted of a circular wheel, forty feet in diameter, and adjusted in nearly a horizontal position. From three to four horses were placed on one edge of this wheel at a time and har- nessed to a frame, and as they walked forward apparently to themselves, they in reality stood still, the immense wheel rotating under them and propelling the saw which played vertically up and down. One set of horses was kept upon the wheel from three to four hours, when another set was put in their places. With this vertical saw Mr. Norcross was able to saw about one thou- sand feet of lumber per day. The lumber sawed was mostly for the Georgia
457
THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.
railroad, which was then being built toward Atlanta, and which had agreed to take what lumber Mr. Norcross could have ready for its use, by the time it could approach sufficiently near to Atlanta to use the lumber. The lumber was sawed out in the shape of "mudsills," cross-ties, and "stringers." The "mudsills" were really three-inch plank, about twelve inches wide, and were laid down lengthwise of the railroad as a base for the cross-ties, which lay across the mudsills, and at a distance apart of from four to five feet. The "stringers" were then laid longitudinally on top of the cross-ties, and on the "stringers" were laid the flat iron rails, or strap rails. In manufacturing these various kind of railroad timbers, Mr. Norcross's mill was kept employed about two years, and during that time made considerable money for its owner. Its operations were then discontinued. It was on this Georgia railroad that the first locomotive that came into Atlanta by self-propulsion reached this city September 15, 1845.
One of the largest flouring-mills in the Southern States before the war was one erected where the Georgia railroad depot now is, by Richard Peters, L. P. Grant, W. G. Peters and J. F. Mims. The capital invested was $50,000. The building was a three-story frame, and was well built and well supplied with good machinery. It was erected in 1848, and was run by Richard Peters until the breaking out of the war. Mr. Peters attempted to conduct a merchant flouring-mill business, but from various causes was not so successful in the business as would have been gratifying to his tastes. The principal reason for this was that some of his principal competitors persistently undersold him without any regard to profit. When the war broke out Mr. Peters sold the engines to the government, who took them to Augusta and there they were used throughout the war in the manufacture of powder for the Confederate armies. The building was then converted into a pistol factory and was thus used until the city was destroyed by order of General Sherman. The five acres of land upon which it stood cost Mr. Peters originally $600, and he sold it for $20,000.
The first foundry and machine shop erected in Atlanta that took in regular custom work, was erected by A. Leyden, formerly from Pennsylvania, and in later years the inventor of the lock that has for the last eight years been used on the bags containing the registered mail of the United States. The foundry and machine shop referred to were erected in November, 1848, and the busi- ness was conducted under the firm name of A. Leyden & Co., Mr. Leyden's partner being Robert Finley of Macon, Ga. The foundry was located where the l'orter & Butler foundry now is, and was in fact the original of which the latter is the successor. It was on the Georgia railroad, opposite the Richmond and Danville railroad freight depot. In 1853 Mr. Leyden became the sole proprietor of the establishment, but in 1856, took in as partners E. W. Holland, James L. Dunning, and John McDonough, and the partnership resulting was
58
458
HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
also known as A. Leyden & Co. In 1857, Mr. McDonough sold his interest in the business to William Rushton, and in 1858 Mr. Leyden himself sold his interest. The name of the company was then changed to the Atlanta Machine Works, and continued to run under that name until the war, when being re- quested to cast shells for the Confederate government, and refusing, the prop- erty was seized by the government and used by them for the manufacture of shells until the city was captured by General Sherman, when the works were destroyed. After the war they were resurrected by Mr. Butler, now of Gaines. ville, Ga. After several changes in the firm J. H. Porter became interested in the establishment, hence the name Porter & Butler, and these two gentlemen ran it for several years. About 1882 Mr. McCombs became interested in the business, and in later years Mr. George Taylor, and the name of the firm was changed to McCombs, Taylor & Co., and the name of the works remain, as it has been for many years, The Atlanta Machine Works. The goods manufac- tured here are mill machinery, mining machinery, steam engines, and various other kinds of machinery and castings. The annual product of the works has reached as high as $200,000.
The Atlanta Mining and Rolling Mill Company was incorporated March 9, 1866, the incorporators being John D. Gray, Allen Kennedy, Aaron Alexan- der, William C. Gray, and their associates and successors, and the authorized capital stock of the company was $200,000. The privilege was granted of increasing it to $500,000. This was in fact the continuance of the business carried on by Lewis Scofield before the war, and during the war by Scofield & Markham. The location of the works was about two hundred yards west of the present site of the Fulton Cotton Spinning Mills. These works were, like most of the other works of the kind, destroyed by the war. After the war the Atlanta Rolling Mills were erected nearly opposite the present site of the Atlanta Bridge and Axle Works on Marietta street, and were run until 1877, when the business failed and the property went into the hands of a receiver. The receiver conducted the business about a year, when the property was sold and an attempt made to start again. The result was another failure and another receiver in the person of Grant Wilkins, who ran the business for about eight years, when an accidental fire destroyed the combustible part of the buildings, and the rest of the ruins still remain. The property has been purchased by the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company, and is now owned by the Georgia Pacific Railroad Company.
It is now the design to present a brief resume of the manufacturing that was carried o'n in the city during the war. In 1860, there were here four large machine shops, two planing-mills, three tanneries, two shoe factories, a soap factory, and clothing manufactories employing seventy-five hands. The most important establishment in the place was the Scofield & Markham Rolling Mills for the manufacture of railroad iron, and capable of turning out thirty tons per day.
459
THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.
The opening of hostilities caused the blockade of all Southern ports, and cut off communication with the outside world. The South had large armies to be equipped, and the people at home required various articles of utility and comfort. The demand had in some way to be supplied, and hence, in a short time, Atlanta became a veritable hive of industry. Shops and factories were soon in full operation, manufacturing almost every article that could be of use in warfare, from field ordnance down to a navy revolver. Immense quantities of shells and percussion caps were turned out every day, and shipped to the front. Some of the lighter military equipments, requiring considerable skill and ingenuity, were also manufactured here, such as brass buttons, canteens, bowie knives, envelopes, paper boxes, coffins, etc. The bakers did a tremendous busi- ness supplying the army with hard-tack. Mr. Carl F. Barth started a drum factory and turned out bass and kettle drums by the hundred. There were scores of clothing, shoe, hat and candle factories. Mr. Thomas W. Chandler manufactured fine swords for officers. These were of well tempered steel and were serviceable weapons. James McPherson built a match factory at great expense, and his matches were sold all along the line from Richmond to Mo- bile. Dr. Samuel Hape came home after a year's service in the field, author- ized by the government to manufacture false teeth, gold leaf and the silver wire used for surgical purposes. He sent through the lines for machinery and a gold beater, and himself made a trip to Europe to secure other needed mate- rial. In order to reach Europe he had to run the blockade, and as he was the bearer of dispatches from the Confederate government to its minister in France, he ran not a little risk. He made his industry in Atlanta very successful and was of material aid to the government and the people.
But most of the ingenuity of the Southern people was at that time turned into warlike channels. It was expended upon cannon, bombs, powder, pistols, ubers, guns, and similar articles, in preference to the things required by a peaceful community. Still what was achieved in Atlanta under such adverse circumstances, when the raw material was almost entirely lacking, shows that with favorable opportunities they had the resources, the inventive ability, and the skill to provide almost anything that was absolutely necessary. The two evacuations, by the Confederates and Federals, with the consequent destruction of eleven-twelfths of the city, swept away every vestige of these manufactures, and it was not until the city had been rebuilt that its industrial era was really inaugurated.
And even since the inauguration of this industrial era, which is full of prom- isc, and which, up to this time, is far from being barren of valuable results. there have been numerous establishments which, from various reasons, have failed to meet with that success which would warrant their projectors in con- unuing to labor for that for which they embarked in business, and which, in different instances, lured on to labor for a greater or less period of time. In
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HISTORY OF ATLANTA.
the cases of those that were of short duration it is not deemed worth while to trace their rise and progress, but some of the more important establishments are briefly sketched in the following pages, and from the success which has at- tended them some idea may be obtained as to what may be done in Atlanta in the way of manufacturing, when the proper conditions are observed. The first establishment that is noticed here is the Winship Machine Company. The business of this company was established in 1853, by Joseph Winship, who, though originally from Massachusetts, had then been a citizen of Georgia twenty- three years. He located where the works are now, at the intersection of Foundry street and the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Here he erected a foundry and machine shop, and commenced business in 1854. Soon afterward he took into partnership his brother, Isaac R. Winship, and his two sons, Rob- ert and George, the firm name becoming Joseph Winship & Co. The build- ings which had been erected and the business which had been built up were destroyed by the war, but as soon afterward as possible work was commenced again. In 1866 Isaac R. Winship left Atlanta, and the business was continued by Joseph Winship and his two sons until January, 1869, when Joseph Winship retired from the firm. The business was then conducted by the two brothers, Robert and George Winship, under the firm name of Winship Brothers until January, 1885, when the Winship Machine Company was incorporated with a capital stock of $200,000. The officers of the company since then have been as follows: George Winship, president; Robert Winship, vice-president; and R. E. Rushton, secretary. In 1882 the entire establishment was rebuilt and enlarged, and since then the buildings have consisted of a blacksmith shop and machine shop, 43 x 220 feet, 170 feet of which is two stories high, the rest one story ; a foundry, 60 x 80 feet, one story high ; a gin shop, 40 x 120 feet, three stories high ; and a warehouse, 40 x 100 feet, and four stories high. The build- ings occupy four and one-half acres of ground, and the business consists in the manufacture of cotton presses, cotton-gins, steam engines and saw-mills, besides a general jobbing work in iron. The number of hands employed is about one hundred and twenty-five, and the annual value of the product of the establish- ment is about $250,000.
E. Van Winkle & Co. The business of this firm was started in 1870 by Mr. E. Van Winkle in a small way. He continued alone until 1880, when he sold a one-half interest to his present partner, Mr. W. W. Boyd, since which time the firm name has been E. Van Winkle & Co. This firm, since 1880, has erected a number of new buildings, a foundry, a warehouse, and an enlarge- ment has been made to the machine shop. In 1884 they established a branch of their business at Dallas, Tex. The business consists in the manufacture of cotton presses, cotton-gins, cotton-seed oil-mills, linters, saw- mills, gin- house supplies, and castings generally. They employ from one hundred to one hun- dred and fifty hands, and have a very large and rapidly increasing business.
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