Description
This is the first in a new series: the South Decatur Trolley Line (SDTL). This series was inspired by Kurokitty's PATH series (which we appreciate for the many caches close to home!). After attending a recent DeKalb History Center presentation on Atlanta's streetcars, we felt that this former trolley line deserved a series of its own.
From the DeKalb History Center talk: The development of Atlanta’s streetcars, starting during reconstruction, reflects the metamorphosis the city took from rural train junction to an urban center of the New South. Additionally, the individuals involved in each line is a laundry list of Atlanta’s founding fathers, including Joel Hurt and Lemuer Grant.
The trolleys have also influenced the development of Atlanta’s historic residential neighborhoods from the West End to East Lake. The closing decades of the nineteenth century saw a proliferation of streetcar companies and routes. Eventually, the various companies were consolidated under the company that would become Georgia Power.
This strategic location attracted several businesses and in 1910 led to the founding of the Town of Oakhurst. The Town only lasted 4 years until merging into the City of Decatur, but the area prospered over the next half-century until white flight began in the late 1960s. The final blow came in 1976 when the Scottish Rite Hospital moved to its current Perimeter Mall location. Some houses were sold for as low as $1.
The area was "rediscovered" in the mid 1990s. When we moved here in 1996, the only businesses open were the convenience store (still open) and a second-hand grocery store (the Big H) which sold items after the sell-buy date. It wasn't a place to visit after dark. Today there are no lack of choices for food or drink and you can find backyard chickens down the street from art galleries. We're happy that we can now venture out for Mojo's and caches in the evenings. Difficulty rating higher due to muggle activity.
Congrats to Baxter929 for FTF.