As we are loving local in this February issue of Chamblee City Lifestyle, we want to take a look back at where the community has been to get a better idea of where it is and where it’s going. So, in this issue we’re looking at how the railroad shaped Chamblee’s history and set the community on the path for a successful future.
According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the state’s first railroad tracks were laid in the 1830s, and by 1929, a network across Georgia was created with connections to both Alabama and Tennessee. The New Georgia Encyclopedia entry goes on to say that it’s along the railroad tracks where towns and cities in the state of Georgia were established and happened like this:
A depot would be built and businesses would locate nearby to take advantage of the concentration of potential customers. Other businesses would be established to provide such services as lodging, saloons, livery stables, blacksmiths, warehouses, and milling. Eventually a town or city would develop. (Storey, S. (2006). Railroads. In New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 2,2005, from georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/railroads/)
According to Longwood Subdivision 1958 – 1962, a document by Ellen Rankin, in the section “A History of the Longwood Development,” Rankin writes that Chamblee began as Roswell Junction on the spur line of the Richmond and Danville Railroad. Rankin goes on to explain that once the town became big enough for a post office, officials rejected the name Roswell Junction.
…the name Chamblee came from an African American railroad worker who had entered his name in a contest. (Jim Gray, “Chamblee Enjoys its Own Identity,” Originally published in The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, January 27, 1974.)
And that’s how the city is said to be created and how it became - Chamblee.
In a July 12, 2021 blog post on her site Past Tense Ga., Valerie Biggerstaff gives readers insight into what was known as the Roswell Railroad at the time, and the route of the tracks in modern day. Below is the excerpt of the route from Biggerstaff's blog post.
From Chamblee Depot, the railroad went through where Chamblee Plaza is today, and on to the location of Chamblee Methodist Church. There was a trestle bridge over Nancy Creek near the church. The railroad then crossed where I-285 is today, following the path of Chamblee Dunwoody Road. The path continued past the home of William J. and Millie Adams Donaldson, known today as Donaldson-Bannister Farm. Continuing along the path of Chamblee Dunwoody Road, the railroad crossed present day Mount Vernon Road and stayed to the left at the fork with Roberts Drive to continue the path of today’s Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
…The Railroad Section House, which today sits between Synovus Bank and Wade Automotive Repair on Chamblee Dunwoody Road, was once one of three section houses. The section houses were used for railroad workers to stay in while working on the track. (Read the full blog post and more at pasttensega.com.)
While much has changed, some things remain the same. Today the railroad tracks still run through the heart of Chamblee and trains continue to chug along the tracks. And like those first residents and visitors of the place we call Chamblee, people today can stop by the Frosty Caboose for a sweet treat or take an evening stroll through downtown and watch the trains go by.
Acknowledgements: Special thank you to the city of Chamblee for providing the historical images, long-time Chamblee resident Marci Hooper-Smith, and Valerie Biggerstaff and her Blog, Past Tense Ga., for providing assistance and information for this article.