Andrew Bramlett

A Town Tied to the RAILROAD

BY ANDREW J. BRAMLETT

A piece of railroad money issued in April 1862. Image from the Georgia Archives.

The Western and Atlantic Depot in Atlanta before the Civil War. It was destroyed in 1864. Image from the Atlanta History Center.

While we celebrate the beginning of a new year, it is a good time to remember the beginnings of our town. The railroad responsible for the formation of Kennesaw nearly caused its destruction.

The Erie Canal opened in New York to much fanfare in 1825. Built by the state, the canal brought a wave of economic prosperity to New York City. Other states took notice and began their own public works projects. Many of these projects were canals, but they also included a new technology: the railroad.

Unfortunately for many states, neither canals nor railroads could cross the Appalachian Mountains. With most of the state south of the mountains, Georgia did not have this disadvantage, and capitalized on it.

On Dec. 21, 1836, Georgia authorized the construction of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Owned by the state, it would start south of the Chattahoochee River and end at Ross’s Landing (in present-day Chattanooga). Trains could travel from northern states to Augusta or Savannah, then travel west to the railroad’s southern terminus, and finally travel north along the Western and Atlantic to the other side of the mountains. This turned the railroad into the heart of the South’s railroad network.

Col. Stephen Harriman Long was tasked with surveying the new route, which follows a similar path through North Georgia as today’s Interstate 75. The site chosen for the southern terminus was conveniently named Terminus, which eventually became Marthasville, and later was renamed Atlanta. Construction began on the railroad in 1838, and by 1845 it had reached Marietta.

As construction progressed north, a community of shanties was founded at the highest point between the Chattahoochee and Etowah rivers. The small community was called the

Big Shanty from a copy of Harper’s Weekly. Image from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Big Shanty Grade. This later was shortened to Big Shanty. According to some accounts, the name was the brainchild of a railroad worker named Jacob Russell. Workers from Big Shanty helped build the “State Road” — as the railroad commonly had been called since 1840 — for the remainder of the railroad’s construction. Big Shanty and Atlanta would not be the only rail communities founded. Acworth, Smyrna, Cartersville, Adairsville, Calhoun, Resaca, Dalton and Ringgold all owe their existence to the railroad.

The Western and Atlantic opened to Chattanooga in 1847, but construction continued until 1850. After it was completed, locomotive engineers realized that heading up from the Chattahoochee River and Etowah River proved difficult in the morning, because of dew on the tracks. A place was needed to rest overnight at the high point between the rivers, which happened to be Big Shanty. In 1859, the Big Shanty Eating House was constructed, so trains could stay in the community overnight. It later was managed by George Lacy, and it commonly is referred to as the Lacy Hotel.

At the start of the Civil War, the State Road became busier than ever, and its strategic location made it especially important. Because of the railroad, a Confederate training camp named Camp McDonald was established in Big Shanty, and visitors came from across the state to see the soldiers training. On April 12, 1862, Union soldiers led by civilian spy James J. Andrews stole the General locomotive in Big Shanty and attempted to destroy the railroad. The Andrews Raiders were not successful, and their daring saga later became known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The event gave Big Shanty national recognition.

As the Union Army made its way through Georgia in 1864, the importance of the railroad was recognized by both sides. Gen. William T. Sherman ordered that all of the towns along the Western and Atlantic between Big Shanty and Atlanta be destroyed, so that the enemy could not return to the area. Ironically, the railroad had created Big Shanty, and it was the railroad that caused its destruction.

After the war, the rebuilding of Big Shanty began, and the community was incorporated as Kennesaw in 1887. The railroad remains an important centerpiece of Kennesaw today. The Western and Atlantic, now leased to CSX, still runs through the heart of downtown Kennesaw. The city and the railroad have been linked together, for better or worse, for more than 175 years.

Andrew Bramlett is vice president of the Kennesaw Historical Society and an honorary member of the Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation Commission.

Personal Attention, Fast Service at the Core of Family-Owned Business

Towne Plumber’s owners Shane and Callie Mahaffey established their business in February 2017 on the values that most people come to appreciate in a small, locally owned company. Personal attention, availability, competitive pricing, and family values are important to the couple and have become their company’s foundation.

They’ve dedicated their familyowned business to making life easier for customers, who often need help in the evenings and on weekends, and to benefiting community schools and sports leagues.

With the recent addition of a high school graduate as an apprentice, Towne Plumber is growing to meet the needs of the community. No matter how much the company expands, the promise is to continue providing customers with exceptional service.

It Was Time for a Change

Shane Mahaffey’s intense personal desire to serve customers actually led to a big job change. At one point, he worked for a large company, but wasn’t feeling fulfilled there.

“Most days, I had a very full schedule, with multiple appointments back to back, and it was a time crunch to complete each job. Now that I own this smaller company, we make sure to schedule our calls accordingly. We don’t rush through our work, and we make sure it’s done correctly the first time,” Mahaffey said. “Towne Plumber enables me to treat my customers exactly how I would want a local company to treat me.”

Master Plumber Mahaffey, with 17 years of experience, along with licensed plumbers Darryl Dickson, Trey Pulley and Dustin White, and apprentice Vander Damiano, offer a variety of services that range from drain repair to slab leak detection.

“Sometimes, plumbing jobs do seem very simple, but, even something that seems easy, like swapping out a toilet or installing a new faucet, can go wrong for someone who hasn’t done it before,” Shane said. “Water damage is something no one wants to deal with. However, swapping out parts in toilets and replacing kitchen sink faucets, are tasks that we do daily, so our customers can rest assured that they won’t have to give those honey-do list projects a second thought.”

From left: Colbe Campbell, Vander Damiano, Callie and Shane Mahaffey, Carrie Green, Darryl Dickson and Trevor Krebbs.

Round-the-Clock Service

Towne Plumber is available by phone, email, Google chat, Facebook messenger … any method that connects the plumber and the client in the most efficient

Mahaffey family, clockwise, Shane and Callie with sons Parker, Easten, Nolan and daughter Lily.

Towne Plumber | 770-257-7503