Kennesaw, Georgia

Life in Kennesaw Georgia - Live the Life Series

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• published: 06 Dec 2014
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1870’s: Big Shanty lay in ruins following the Civil War, but by the 1870’s the town began to recover. There were three retail stores, one blacksmith shop, two house carpenters, two Methodist ministers and one doctor. The Western and Atlantic Railroad was rebuilt and provided an important transportation artery for the town. The First Baptist Church and the Methodist Church were built in 1877. 1880’s: The area continued to recover from the Civil War, and on September 21, 1887 a petition for incorporation was presented to the Legislature–the City of Kennesaw was born. The Articles of Incorporation stated that: 1) the City of Kennesaw is incorporated; 2) corporate limits of the town shall extend one half mile, north, south, east and west from the Depot of the Western and Atlantic Railroad; 3) there shall be an election of a mayor and four councilmen; 4) the mayor shall have the power to levy and collect taxes; and 5) nothing in this act shall give the town authorities the right to grant license to sell intoxicating liquors. Growth Continues Late 19th Century: The city grew slowly. The railroad continued to be the chief source of employment. In 1889, the mayor and council served without pay, and the only city income was from a street tax of fifty cents for every head of household. This was later raised to $2.50. J.S. Reynolds was elected as first mayor in 1891. During the 1890s, there was a scarlet fever epidemic and later a smallpox scare. Early 20th Century: Kennesaw prospered. Cotton provided a good source of revenue, and the town served as an important shipping center. The Masonic Hall/dry good store was constructed in 1902, the Kennesaw State Bank building around 1905, and the Western and Atlantic Depot was finished in 1908. The Kennesaw State Bank was chartered around 1910. In 1911, the City began charging the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, (former Western and Atlantic), $100 a year to use the local spring water. In the 1920s, Kennesaw supported a semi-pro baseball team named the “Kennesaw Smokers”. Kennesaw was deeply affected by the depression and boll weevil which virtually destroyed the cotton industry. The City didn’t fully recover until the 1980s. “The Great Locomotive Chase” 1950’s: A difficult era for the City of Kennesaw. The last cotton gin and Kennesaw State Bank both closed. Highway 41 bypassed the city. In 1957, Walt Disney Productions released “The Great Locomotive Chase” starring Fess Parker which sparked renewed interest in the City. 1962: On April 14, 1962, The General retraced its historic run from Kennesaw (Big Shanty) to Chattanooga. 1972: The General once again traveled to Kennesaw to be housed in the former Frey Cotton Gin Building following a prolonged court battle with the City of Chattanooga. The Gun Law May 1, 1982: Kennesaw once again was in the news when the city unanimously passed a law requiring “every head of household to maintain a firearm together with ammunition.” After passage of the law, the burglary rate in Kennesaw declined, and today the City has the lowest crime rate in Cobb County. Prosperity and Rapid Growth 1980’s: The economy grew as nearby construction of shopping malls and businesses put the City of Kennesaw into the Metropolitan Atlanta area. 2000: The City’s population was 21,675. 2001: In the Spring, the City opened its own history exhibits located in the historic railroad Depot. 2003: The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, formerly the Kennesaw Civil War Museum, underwent a massive expansion. In addition to The General and a film about The Great Locomotive Chase, the Museum features two other permanent collections.