When the State of Georgia greenlit the Western and Atlantic railroad line and marked its terminus point just south of the Chattahoochee River, most observers recognized the impact that the new technology would have on Georgia’s commercial trade. It seems quaint by today’s standards, but almost no one at the time recognized that a world class city would organically spring up around the rail junction. The rapid development of an unplanned city in the middle of the North Georgia wilderness created substantial growing pains for all those living in the area. Chief among them were the obstacles created by all of the railroad tracks running through the middle of a heavily populated city. It’s the tale of an elusive solution to an unintended consequence on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
