ATLAN'TA. The capital of Georgia, and county seat of Fulton County, 171 miles west by north of Augusta and 294 miles northwest of Savannah (Slap: Georgia, B 2). It is popu larly known as the "Gate City," and is the larg est city in the State, the commercial metropolis of the northern section, and one of the important railroad centres of the South. It lies at the base of the Blue Ridge, near the Chattahooehee River, and has an elevation of 1000 to 1100 feet above sea level and a healthful climate with a mean annual temperature of about 60° Fahrenheit. The city is laid out in a circle and possesses a fine public library, the State Library with over 50,000 volumes, a valuable geological collection, and numerous educational institutions. It is the seat of the Georgia School of Technology (founded in 1S8S), a branch of the State Uni versity at Athens; Atlanta University, founded in 1869; Clark University (Methodist Episco pal), established in 1870; Atlanta Baptist Col lege, organized in 1867: and two medical schools. Among the more important buildings are the State Capitol, eourt-house, city hall, custom house, opera-house, chamber of commerce, and several commodious office buildings. Other points of interest are Grant and Piedmont parks, the latter being the site of the Atlanta Expo sition of 1895. In the vicinity of the city are prosperous agricultural communities and popular suburbs; and Fort McPherson (q.v.), a Govern ment army post, is four miles distant to the south.
Atlanta carries on a large export trade in cotton, tobacco, grain, horses, and mules, its mule market being one of the most important in the United States. The products of its industrial establishments include cotton goods, cotton-seed oil, bags, furniture, machinery, fertilizers, patent medicines, flour, street cars, agricultural imple ments, and various other foundry and machine shop products.
The government is administered under a char ter of 1874, revised in 1900. which provides for a mayor, who holds office for two years, and a bi cameral municipal council; the board of alder men, consisting of six members, elected at large for three years, and the council of fourteen mem bers, chosen for two years to represent the city wards, but elected by the whole city. Of the ad ministrative officials, only the license inspector and public weighers are appointed by the execu tive, the municipal council controlling appoint ments to all other offices except the following, which are filled by popular election: attorney, comptroller, commissioner of public works, marshal, engineer, tax collector, treasurer, and sexton. The annual income and expenditures of the city balance at about $1,800,000; the princi pal items of expense being $140,000 for the police department (including amounts for police courts, jails, reformatories, etc.). $105,000 for the fire department, $105,000 for the health department (including amounts for street cleaning and sprinkling, and garbage removal), and $150,000 for schools. Atlanta owns its waterworks, which
are operated at a yearly cost of about $90,000.
Population: 1850, 2572; 1870, 21,789; 1890, 65,533; 1900, 89,872, including 2500 persons of foreign birth and 35,900 of negro descent. The first settlement was made here about 1839, and was called Terminus, from its being the intended ter minus of the Georgia Railroad. completed in 1845. In 1843 it was incorporated as a town under the name Marthasville, and two years later the pres ent name was adopted, while in 1847 a city char ter was secured. Atlanta's growth was very rapid, its population being about 15,000 in 1861, and, from its admirable location, it became, at the outbreak of the Civil War, one of the most important cities in the Confederacy, being used as a depot for supplies, a manufacturing centre, a shelter for refugees, and a rallying-place for recruits. In 1864 it was the objective point of General Sherman's campaign from Chattanooga (See CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.) The Federal army approached the city in .Tuly. and after fighting the battle of Peachtree Creek (q.v.), on July 20, closely invested the Confederate works. On July 22 the battle of Atlanta was fought south east of the city. Hood, the Confederate general in command, making a bloody hut unsuccessful at tack on Sherman's extreme left under McPher son. who was killed early in the engagement. The Federal loss in killed, wounded, and prison ers was about 3300; the Confederate, never accu rately determined, was probably as great as 8500. On the 28th another severe engagement, the battle of Ezra Church, was fought west of the city, Hood again attacking, and being again re pulsed, the Federals losing about 600 and the Confederates about 4500. Meanwhile Sherman had kept up an almost continual bombardment, and on September 1, by a flank movement, com pelled Hood to evacuate, the Federals taking possession on the following day. On the 4th, Sherman ordered all civilian residents to leave Atlanta within five days. and at the end of that time turned the city into a vast military camp. Here he stayed until November 15, when, leav ing the larger part of the city in flames, he started for Savannah, on his famous march to the sea. Excepting its court house, churches, and a number of dwellings, Atlanta was almost totally destroyed; but after the war it was quickly built up anew, and grew with great ra pidity. In 1878 it became the capital of Geor gia, and in 1895-96 the celebrated Cotton States and Industrial Exposition was held here. For Atlanta during the Civil \Val', see Jacob D. Cox, Atlanta (New York, 1882), in the "Cam paigns of the Civil War Series." For the general history of the city, see W. P. Reed (editor), History or Atlanta (Syracuse, 1889).