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LIBRARIES IN GEORGIA WITH GENEALOGICAL HOLDINGS:
To help family researchers make better use of genealogical resources in Georgia, this series of articles will focus on several libraries with good genealogical collections and, thus, provide guidelines as to what can be found in different areas of the state. If there is a particular library that you would like to see reviewed, please provide the contributors with the name, address, and telephone number of the library and the name of the librarian to contact.
ATLANTA-FULTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, ATLANTA, GEORGIAContributed by Ann L. Sherman and Jane L. Splawn Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Directions to and Parking at the Library The best and least expensive way to get to the library is to take the MARTA North/South line and get off at the Peachtree Center Station. In the station there are signs indicating the direction of the library. Take the Ellis Street exit, go through the turnstiles, turn right, and take the escalator to the street level. The library is directly ahead, across Carnegie Way. Traveling by car on I-75/85 from the south, take Exit 248-C (International Boulevard). When the ramp dead-ends, turn left (lane is labeled Fort Street). Go four blocks, turn left at the top of the hill on Peachtree Street and go two blocks. Turn right on Forsyth Street and take an immediate right on Carnegie Way. The library is the first building on the left. Macy’s parking deck will be on your left behind the library. From the north via I-75/85, take Exit 249-C (Williams Street). When Williams Street dead-ends (at fourth light), turn left on International Boulevard and take an immediate right on Carnegie Way. Approximately three blocks on the right is Macy’s parking deck. Several parking decks are located near the library; Macy’s is the closest. When exiting from Macy’s parking deck at the street level, turn right and walk a short block to the entrance of the library. Macy’s parking deck hours are Monday—Saturday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Other parking facilities are located on Luckie and Spring Streets. History of the Area Atlanta is located in an area crisscrossed by many famous Indian trails that were created by people who had lived here for at least 8,000 years. Many present-day streets follow these original timeworn paths, and several local geographic names trace their origins to either the Muskogee-Creek or the Cherokee language. Although the English settled the coast of Georgia in 1733, the subsequent settlement of the interior lands progressed only as the Indians were pushed farther and farther west. The discovery of gold in North Georgia resulted in the final removal of the Cherokees in 1838, thereby allowing more concentrated white settlement in the area now occupied by Atlanta. The development of a railroad system connecting the area to various towns throughout the Southeast resulted in the growth of a town first casually named Terminus in 1837. Soon the name was changed to Marthasville in honor of Martha Lumpkin, daughter of Governor Wilson Lumpkin. The name Atlanta, feminine of Atlantic, was then proposed by Richard Peters of the Western and Atlantic Railroad and was officially adopted in 1843. The Civil War precipitated great growth in Atlanta, with the population more than doubling in four years. General William T. Sherman’s siege of the city in 1864 left widespread destruction from which the people would rapidly rebuild. Today, Atlanta is recognized as the economic and cultural center of the Southeast. Having risen, like the phoenix, from the ashes of the Civil War, it is a city noted for progressive ideas. Location of Genealogical Materials The genealogical collection is on the fifth floor and is reached from the lobby by an elevator on the right. The staff information desk, where researchers are asked to register, is located directly in front of the elevator. Finding Aids and Internet Access A recent move to the fifth floor has caused a need for several changes. Currently the library is in the process of installing three computer terminals there. One is now available with the catalog of the library, although it is not yet complete. A list of the genealogical library holdings is available at the front desk. Additional Aids Provided by the Library The following brochures on sources, both in and outside the library, are available at the front desk:
Books A truly impressive collection of books is arranged to encourage browsing and provide easy access. Sections, which are labeled, are grouped as follows:
A tremendous collection of periodicals in hard copy includes, among many others, Civil War History, 1978-present; Confederate Veteran (Nashville), 1893-1932; Family Puzzlers, 1964-1969, 1975-1997; Georgia Genealogical Magazine, 1961-1998; Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly, 1964-1974, 1981, 1988-1989, 1991-present; Georgia Historical Quarterly, 1917-1934, 1936-present; Huxford Genealogical Society Magazine, 1974-1982, 1985-present; They Were Here, 1965-1971, 1976; and Voice of the Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society, 1979-1983. Maps The map file cabinet is located on the wall directly behind the front desk. The map drawers are labeled as follows: Atlanta Before 1900 Through Today, Counties of Georgia Before 1800 Through Today, Cities Other Than Atlanta, Pictures, Other States and Regions, County Highway Maps (alphabetical), and Georgia Topographical Maps. City DirectoriesAtlanta city directories from 1861 to the present are available. There are also a few scattered directories for other Georgia cities. Telephone Directories Atlanta telephone directories from 1946 to the present are available. Manuscripts A file cabinet housing clippings about Georgia, its individual counties, and its cities is located at the far left side of the room. There are a few papers on families. Copying Machine One copying machine is located on the wall behind the front desk and next to the map file. It will handle ledger-, legal-, and letter-sized paper. Copies are fifteen cents each. Microfilm A large collection includes the following:
On top of the microform filing cabinets is The New York Genealogical and Biographical 113 Year Master Index, 1870-1982. An unusual book to find in a Georgia library, it contains over 32,000 entries including names of husbands and maiden names of wives married before 1825. Microfiche The microfiche collection contains both historical and genealogical material. Included is:
Five reader-copiers are available; three are for microfilm, and two are for microfiche. All can print directly from the film. Copies are ten cents each.
Four CD-ROMs are available—three from Family Tree Maker and one titled Early American Gazetteer, 1833 and 1853 Editions.
Other Area Attractions
Among the many interesting sites in Atlanta are Centennial Park, created for the 1996 Summer Olympics; the Grant Park Cyclorama, a 50-foot high circular painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta; the High Museum of Art; the fabulous Fox Theater; the King Center; the Carter Center; and the Margaret Mitchell House, where she wrote Gone With the Wind. A Margaret Mitchell display can also be found on the third floor of the library.
*Ann L. Sherman, 1000 Winding Creek Trail, Atlanta, GA 30328, (404) 252-7938. E-mail: Ann Sherman |