Where in the World Atlanta is located in the northwest part of the state of Georgia Move your finger a little north on the map You will touch the Blue Ridge Mountains Curling around the northwest corner of the city is the Chattahoochee Chat-uh-who-chee Chat-uh-who-chee River The Eastern Continental Divide runs through Atlanta If precipitation falls on the west side of the line the water drains into the Gulf of Mexico If it falls on the east side of the line the water drains into the Atlantic Ocean Atlanta has the highest elevation or height above sea level of any big city east of the Mississippi River The highest part of the city near Spelman College is 1,073 feet 327 05 meters 4
At 1,023 feet 311 8 meters the Bank of America Plaza is the tenth tallest building in the United States Atlanta Notes Dozens of streets in Atlanta are named Peachtree Historians think it came from a Native American settlement named either Standing Peachtree or Standing Pitch Tree 5
The End is the Beginning Atlanta was created as the southern end of a railroad line that started in Chattanooga Tennessee In 1837 engineers from the railroad picked a spot It was seven miles 11 3 kilometers east of the Chattahoochee River That’s where Atlanta started Being last in line is not always bad This railroad opened Atlanta to trade from the Tennessee and Ohio valleys 6
Do you ever wonder how you got your name Atlanta’s first name was Terminus This means end of the line Then it was changed to Marthasville the name of Governor Wilson Lumpkin’s daughter Finally the name was changed to Atlanta in 1847 The name came from Atlantic a nod to the Western and Atlantic railroad that started the town Atlanta Notes Lumpkin was one of Georgia's leaders during Wilson most prominent political period After serving the antebellum in local government and the state legislature he was elected to Congress four times serving 1815-17 and 1827-31 He resigned before serving his fourth term to run for the governorship of Georgia Lumpkin was elected governor for two terms 1831-35 Wilson Lumpkin Governor of Georgia Wilson Lumpkin 1783 1870 7
