During the past 200 years, the Kennesaw area has evolved from an unnamed location on the map into a rapidly expanding city with more than 30,000 people.
Before the 1830s, north Georgia was home to the Cherokee. According to some accounts, a village led by a chief named Kennesaw is believed to have been located on Old Highway 41 between Cobb and Barrett parkways. In 1838, the Cherokee were forcibly removed from the area on the Trail of Tears, and white settlers quickly arrived.
Two years before the Cherokee Removal, the state of Georgia authorized construction of the Western & Atlantic Railroad between what is now Atlanta and Chattanooga. As the railroad extended northward into Cobb County, several small stations were created along the way for railroad workers.
One of these, Big Shanty, was the beginning of modern-day Kennesaw. The Big Shanty name was supposedly chosen by a railroad worker named Jacob Russell, and it referred to the large number of railroad huts in the new community. In 1859, Big Shanty became a notable railroad stop when a breakfast house was built on the east side of the tracks.
The Civil War brought significant change and national attention to the area. In 1861, a training camp for Confederate soldiers was established on the west side of the tracks. Named Camp McDonald, it brought visitors from across the state to watch men train and was the largest camp of its kind in Georgia.
On April 12, 1862, on the tracks just outside the camp, Union soldiers stole the General locomotive, starting the Great Locomotive Chase. Though their mission ultimately ended in failure, several of those men later received the first Medals of Honor. The chase is commemorated at Kennesaw’s Southern Museum, the permanent home of the General.
In 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign, fighting took place at nearby Kennesaw Mountain. Near the end of the year, Big Shanty was burned by the Union army, and for the next decade, community members worked to rebuild.
In 1869, the post office name was changed to Kennesaw in honor of the famous mountain, and gradually, Big Shanty became known as Kennesaw. In the 1880s, residents petitioned the state legislature to incorporate their community as a town. When the legislature did so in September 1887, the name was officially set as Kennesaw.
Many historic structures downtown, from commercial buildings to houses, date to the late 1890s and early 1900s. Of particular note is the Kennesaw Depot, built in 1893. This same period saw the opening of the original Kennesaw School, the arrival of electricity, the purchase of a city cemetery and the town’s first automobiles.
Throughout the 20th century, Kennesaw’s growth was shaped by the car. In 1915, the Dixie Highway — or Old Highway 41 — was created, taking many tourists through Kennesaw into north Georgia. Several gas stations, none of which still stand, were built downtown. In the 1950s, U.S. Highway 41 — later named Cobb Parkway — was built, replacing the old Dixie Highway. And the completion of Interstate 75 in 1977 led to larger growth west of Kennesaw.
During World War II, the opening of the Bell Bomber Plant in Marietta started Cobb County’s transformation into an Atlanta suburb.
When Kennesaw Junior College opened in 1966, it signaled the rising importance of north Cobb. The school has undergone several name changes, eventually becoming Kennesaw State University in 1996. As the university expands, it will continue to help shape the city’s future.
The rapid growth Kennesaw has experienced is well reflected in how its population has grown. The city did not reach 1,000 residents until 1960, but in 2000, the population hit 20,000.
The historic houses and commercial structures on Main Street, as well as the Depot and the General, serve as tangible reminders of Kennesaw’s colorful history and what makes the city special.
Many historic structures downtown, from commercial buildings to houses, date to the late 1890s and early 1900s.