Archive Atlanta

This week is all about Margaret Mitchell - from her family, childhood, marriages through health struggles and how she wrote arguably the most famous book in the world. What I love most about this episode, is how her life interacts and intersects with almost every iconic place in the city.  https://www.unitedwayatlanta.org/over-the-edge/ https://www.flipsnack.com/preserveatl/phoenix-flies-2020-a-ce...

This week, I'm interviewing local entrepreneur, author and friend, Akila McConnell. We're talking about Atlanta’s early cooking and restaurant history and this episode is packed with incredible stories you've never heard before. From Native American cooking techniques, the first food vendors, the first restaurants to our love of Decatur Street and how immigrants have always shaped Atlanta's food s...

February is Black History Month, Alexander Hamilton is STILL my favorite episode to-date AND my resources and researching skills have improved since starting this podcast - so this week, we're replaying the very first episode of Archive Atlanta, with some refreshed information.  Atlanta's Alexander Hamilton is the epitome of the American Dream. Rising from enslavement, to elected office, then owni...

One of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods, this is the story of the people who settled it, the buildings they built and what stories these streets have to tell. Stories of rail work, streetcars, police brutality, riots, schools, churches and an orphanage...just to name a few. Pittsburgh’s proximity to the Atlanta Beltline has brought new residents and new development, so I wanted to make sure that it’...

Long time listeners are well-aware of my love of cemeteries. This week, we’re going to cover 6 cemeteries that may not have enough history for their own episodes, but are still places everyone should visit. Learn about the final resting places of Revolutionary War soldiers, the Father of Country Music, the creator of Chick-fil-A, the real-life inspiration for Driving Miss Daisy and where Dr. King...

Not only was Techwood Homes the first in Atlanta, it was actually the first in the entire nation, and built solely for white families. Built almost simultaneously with University Homes, which were for black Atlantans, BOTH of these projects came at the destruction of already existing settlements of extremely poor African Americans. Today, we’re going to start with Atlantans earliest slums, what th...

This story ends on March 11, 1879, around 6:40 pm. Lt. Col. Robert Alston lay dead on a sofa inside the home of Dr. Tabor, over on Decatur Street. He had been shot in a duel by his close friend, in retaliation for going against the prevailing beliefs of his time. Today, I am going to tell you about Alston’s life and how is ended in this tragic way.  Enjoying the podcast? Visit:  www.patreon.com/ar...

This week, I'm tackling a much-requested episode on Decatur. Starting with dinosaurs and heading to the early 20th century, listen in to learn about the streets, people, churches, schools and neighborhoods that make this city was it is.  https://www.amazon.com/Native-Decatur-earliest-history-formation/dp/0692974377 Enjoying the podcast? Visit:  www.patreon.com/archiveatlanta www.archiveatlantapodc...

For most Americans, we turn the faucet and water comes out or we flush the toilet and don’t think twice about where it goes, but in the earliest of Atlanta’s days, these were all complex issues to solve. Understanding how the water and sewer systems were created and structured is essential to understanding modern Atlanta. Today, we’re covering how early residents got their water, how wealth, race...

This week, you get to hear more of our interview with Sara Butler as we start off outside the hotel, discussing the architectural features, the restaurant and bank, and then make our way inside to learn about the ornate and beautifully restored interiors. Whether you’re playing this as a guest of the Candler Hotel, or just use it to understand the amazing photos so many have been posting on social...

This week, we’re doing things a little differently. You’re here because you love hearing about Atlanta’s past...but do ever think about its future? What do you think the metro area will look like in 2050 and what do we want to do now, to make it the place we want then? Listen to the new season of What's Next ATL to find out. I'll be back next Friday with our regular scheduled history programming!...

When the Candler Building opened at the turn of the 20th century, it was the tallest building in the city and contained the longest, unbroken, all-brass stairwell in America, running all the way up to the 17th floor. In the last few weeks, the building has reopened as The Candler Hotel, and it was an incredible to record this interview to learn about the Candler family, the building and the drama...

The Old Fourth Ward is arguably the trendiest Atlanta neighborhood right now, but do you know how it's got its name? This week we’re covering the city's first five wards, the expansion of the ward system and honestly, what a ward even was. In order to understand Atlanta, it's important to see how the city was divided in its earliest days and what criteria was used to do so. https://biketoursatl.co...

So many Atlantans do not know the story of The Herndons - who they were, the careers and companies associated with them and most importantly, the lasting legacy on this city. This history isn’t just about a family - it’s about gender, race, slavery, entrepreneurship, modern women, sexuality and even the Civill Rights movement. They are my favorite historical family and I can’t wait to share this w...

This week, we’re talking about a period in Atlanta and Georgia’s history called Reconstruction. To put it simply, the period after the Civil War, our then-divided country has to figure out how to make themselves whole again. We're covering Presidential Reconstruction, Congressional Reconstruction, the role of Atlanta in this time and the story of the 33 expelled legislators.  Enjoying the podcast?...

This week, we’re covering a darker period in Atlanta’s history - the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan reigned terror throughout the United States, first in the period immediately after the Civil War and then again in the first decade of the new century. You will be blown away at how many homes, buildings, places and names in this city have ties to the organization.  https://biketoursatl.com/a...

Did you know The Temple is the oldest synagogue? Starting off in rented halls with a borrowed Torah, it was during the first Jewish wedding in 1876, that the Rabbi calls for a formal congregation. They would see two world wars, the lynching of Leo Frank, the resurgence of the KKK, the Civil Rights movement and the infamous bombing that took out a 16-foot hole in their place of worship.  Enjoying t...

The boundaries of Buckhead cover an enormous area, so this week I've tried to stick to the early and general history of this well-known neighborhood. Listen to learn about how both Peachtree Road and Buckhead got their names, the oldest church, forgotten burials, erased neighborhoods and why Mayor Hartsfield pushed for annexation.  https://biketoursatl.com/atlanta-street-art-bike-tour/ Enjoying th...

This week were doing things a little different. I'm giving you a chance to hear one of my Patreon-exclusive mini-episodes about Atlanta's first public execution. For just $1 per month, you can get two mini episodes each month! Learn more at  www.patreon.com/archiveatlanta www.archiveatlantapodcast.com/ Email:  thevictorialemos@gmail.com FB:  www.facebook.com/archiveatlanta IG:  www.instagram.com/a...

From John Sullivan's visit to Atlanta in 1883 for a “scientific sparring exhibition” his second visit in 1893 and the governor sending the Volunteer Militia to chase out a boxing match in 1894...Atlanta has had a complicated relationship with boxing. This week, I am covering the places to watch a bout, who was putting on the show, how the Johnson-Jeffries fight affected Atlanta and I'll introduce...

This week, we have a story about African American newspapers, but it’s so much more than paper and words. Behind each publication was a man with an agenda, with strong beliefs and usually a strong personality. By learning about black newspapers, we can learn about fascinating Atlantans. Throw in stories of editors being run out of the city and unsolved murders, and this is an episode you don’t wan...

This week, I get to talk about my favorite thing in the whole world - books. Well, technically it’s about where we keep books...but it’s also a story of gender, power, race and access to information. Before the age of technology and the internet, books represented knowledge, and knowledge is power. Keeping that power away from people has been a tool used by the ruling party since the dawn of time....

If I gave you two words - Atlanta and mill town - and asked you the first thing that came to mind, I expect for most people it would be Cabbagetown. This week, I’m going to tell you about Atlanta’s other mill town. Tucked away at the edge of the city limits, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. This is a story of Northern business, women in power, southern labor and how preservation can give u...

This week, I’m telling a love story - the love of two wheels with a motor, the love for risk and fear and the love that Atlantans had watching these men and their machines. It's a story of tracks, velodromes, motordromes and speedways, and the events that happened at these places. http://archivemoto.com/ Enjoying the podcast? Visit:  www.patreon.com/archiveatlanta www.archiveatlantapodcast.com/ Em...

This week, we have a story about wealth and leisure, amateurs and professionals and how a popular game in the South came about and the iconic place it was played.  Enjoying the podcast? Visit:  www.patreon.com/archiveatlanta www.archiveatlantapodcast.com/ Email:  thevictorialemos@gmail.com FB:  www.facebook.com/archiveatlanta IG:  www.instagram.com/archiveatlanta