The sixth-largest city in Georgia, located seventy miles northeast of Atlanta is the bustling city of Athens, Georgia. Home to over 40,000 college students and 130,000 locals, this city holds the heart of many. Enacted in 1801 and established in 1805, Athens contains a dense history of culture, education, and economic infrastructure. The 221-year past has been preserved through historic landmarks for all who visit to enjoy.
Athens
Athens began as a small settlement beginning at Cedar Shoals on a Cherokee trail used to cross the Oconee River. It was then chosen to be the location of a college in 1785. The college and the city grew together as one, conjoined by the goal of higher education.
The college provided a cultured lifestyle that enticed many wealthy people to move to Athens. While the college was a primary selling point, the Athens economy was not solely based on it. In the 1820s, they were popular for textile manufacturing. By having a location close to a river and many cotton crops, it was easy for them to produce textiles.
Civil War Times
During the Civil War (1861-1865), Athens was home to a private infantry rifle manufacturer called Cook and Brother Armory. Run by two brothers, the armory was contracted to build 30,000 rifles. It was closed in 1865 at the end of the war and converted into a manufacturing company in 1870. The University of Georgia took over the property in 1980.
Thankfully, during the Civil War, Sherman’s men did not pass through Athens which is why its history is still preserved today. Sherman’s March to the Sea was the event where General Sherman and 60,000 soldiers went through Atlanta to Savannah burning down buildings and destroying Confederate property to ruin the confederacy’s ability to battle. While this city in Georgia got lucky, Athens did not come out of the war unharmed. Athens suffered the loss of 300 men during the war which was devastating to the community.
Post-Civil War
After the Civil War, the college reopened and the economy slowly recovered. Trolleys were introduced to Athens in the 1880s and as a result, the city population grew by an additional 4,146 people in just twenty years. The city began to flourish with the establishment of the police, paved streets, and telephones.
The 1900s
When cars were introduced to Athens in 1899, Athens saw a population spike from 1900 to 1940 of over 10,000. Then again after World War I, having a total population of over 62,000.
In 1991, the city of Athens unified with Clarke County forming Athens-Clarke County. Some main reasons for this merger were due to Clarke County’s small size and the continuous growth of people in both of these locations.
University of Georgia
In 1785, the Georgia State Legislature decided they wanted to provide a “college or seminary of learning”. A committee of five was sent out by the state legislature and given the task to find a location for the university. One of the five was John Milledge, a future governor of Georgia. While on their journey, they met a settler by the name of Daniel Easley. Easley showed the men some property owned by him on the edge of the Oconee River. The committee liked the land and decided this would be the location of the college. The University of Georgia was founded in 1785.
As a homage to Greece, John Milledge named the city Athens. You may have heard Athens, Georgia is referred to as the “classic city”. You can find many references to it, like Classic City Bank or The Classic Center. Athens, Greece was considered to be the “center of classical culture” and this area was chosen to be the location of higher education so it only seemed fitting to name it Athens.
The university opened under founder Abraham Baldwin in 1801 as Franklin College. The name was a tribute to founding father, Benjamin Franklin. Over fifty years later, the college started being known as the University of Georgia. You can still find Franklin College, now known as “Old College”, on campus. The college is now specific to arts and sciences.
After the Civil War, the university reopened in 1866. In 1872, the University of Georgia became a land-grant university allowing them to access federal funds. This allowed for expansion into different colleges based on the field of study. The more colleges they offered, the larger the university grew.
237 years later, the University of Georgia has over 142 fields of study and 18 schools and colleges. The classic city continues to prioritize education and build a passion for learning in its community.
