Athens is located in the same location as the trading settlement of Cedar Shoals. In January, 1785 the Georgia General Assembly granted a charter for the University of Georgia to be built as the first state supported university. In 1801 a committee from the university’s board of trustees chose the site for the university atop a hill overlooking Cedar Shoals. Shortly thereafter, John Milledge, one of the trustees, bought 633 acres and donated it to the school. Milledge named this acreage Athens, after Athens, Greece. Milledge later became the governor of Georgia.

The original college was completed in 1806 and called Franklin College, in honor of Benjamin Franklin. On its campus would be Athens’ first permanent structure, now called Old College. In December of the same year, 1806, Athens officially became a town. The college continued to grow as did the town, largely due to the cotton mills in the vicinity. It is the oldest state-chartered institute of higher learning in the U.S.

By 1841, the first railroad made its way into Athens, connecting it to Augusta. By 1845, a railroad connected Athens to Marthasville, now known as Atlanta.

During the Civil War, Athens was a supply center for the Confederacy. At some point, the New Orleans Armory was relocated to the Chicopee Building in Athens.

On 22 April 1862, a double-barrel cannon was tested for the first time in Athens. The two cannonballs, chained together, destroyed a stand of timber, a cornfield, a chimney and killed one cow - but it missed its target! The Confederate Army didn’t buy it!

Following the Civil War and through the Reconstruction Era, Athens continued to grow.

Due to the greater educational and employment opportunities in Athens, many former slaves began to move into Athens. At one time there were three newspapers catering to the black population.

A black entertainment business began to develop at the corner of Washington and Hull Streets, known as the “Hot Corner”. At that location was the Morton Building which had a theatre that hosted movies and live performances by many of the top names of the day. Among those appearing there were Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong.

In 1907, Benjamin Epps became Georgia’s first aircraft pilot on a hill outside Athens that is now the Athens - Ben Epps Airport.

Fred Birchmore of Athens became the first person ever to ride a bicycle around the world.

During World War II, the US Navy placed a training facility of Navy pilots in Athens. It was expanded later, in 1954, to include a Navy Supply Corps school.

Later, the music scene in Athens began to come to life again, in addition to the music from the Hot Corner, there were to emerge the B-52s and REM from all the excellent music in the area. Athens remains a hotbed of underground music.

Ray Charles is from Athens, so are Kim Basinger and Jeff Daniels.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

State Botanical Garden of Georgia
University of Georgia Campus Arboretum