A Peachy New Year

Here in the Atlanta area if you want to experience a large party to welcome in the new year you can always head down to Underground Atlanta and await the Great Peach Drop. My family usually opts for more a more quiet celebration that includes a large take-out order of Hooter’s wings and of course, a bit of champagne when the moment arrives.

I reminded Dear Hubby about getting our champagne since New Year’s Eve falls on a Sunday. He reminded me that we already have a bottle a chillin’ from last year. Well, you don’t have to worry about us being big-time drinkers or anything do ya’?

A Birth Announcement

I’ve posted a birth announcement for Georgia On My Mind over at History Is Elementary. It can be read here.

Georgia Carnival of Bloggers---A Call for Posts

Carnivals are wonderful opportunities to get a quick view regarding what is going on in a specific blogging community. I participate in the History and Education Carnival and have found it to be very entertaining, informative, and I have met many, many interesting people.

Through my involvement with the Education Carnival and with memes such Thursday Thirteen I have come across several other Georgia bloggers from a wide range of professions and interests.

Georgia On My Mind would like to begin and host a Georgia Carnival. Submissions to the Carnival can include anything as long as the text is free of pornography. Choose a recent post that you would like a wide range of people to see and submit it. I'm working on the registration for the carnival at the carnival hub which is linked to The Truth Laid Bare site.

The first posting of the carnival will appear on this blog beginning Friday, January 5th. All submissions would need to be sent to gamind@mail.com no later than Thursday, January 4th at 6:00 p.m. eastern time. I hope that the Georgia Carnival can become a bi-monthly event.

When emailing your submission please include the following:
*your blog url
*you posting name
*the title of your post
*the perma-link to your post

If you need help with this let me know.

I need your help. Suggestions are welcome, and if you are a Georgia blogger please get the word out to everyone you know. I'd hate for my post to be the lone submission!

Georgia Courthouses-Richmond County

I love old courthouses and one of the things I’d like to share here at Georgia On My Mind is images of our courthouse buildings. I picked Richmond County quite by random and was surprised to find out the older building was replaced by a newer, contemporary building in the mid-50’s seen here. I understand that the older buildings become a money pit for tax payers, but still……it’s a shame.

The Georgia Legislature directed town commissioners to build a courthouse, jail, and seminary of learning in January 23, 1780. Actual construction waited until after the American Revolution since the town of Augusta was captured by the British. Once construction began, however, the town fathers decided to take over a an already exisiting structure, and in 1784 enlarged it for several purposes including a courthouse and the state legislature since at that time Augusta was Georgia’s capital. “Government House” was the next courthouse that was constructed on Telfair Street, and in 1820, a brick structure with a clock tower became known as the Richmond County Courthouse on Greene Street. Wings were added later and in 1892 the entire structure was remodeled. It has been determined that this image is from 1906.

Notice in the modern version of the courthouse you can see the Signer’s Monument. It was dedicated in 1848, and honors all three Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence: Button Gwinnett, George Walton, and Lyman Hall.

Walton and Hall are actually buried underneath the monument.

The newer image of the courthouse is courtesy of Edwin Jackson, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia. The older image was also found on the CVIG site as well.

If you visit this site you can view a few old penny postcards of old Augusta.

Hot Marthasville Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring....

On this day in 1845 the town of Marthasville had a name change to Atlanta. The name Marthasville was used to honor Governor Wilson Lumpkin’s daughter, Martha.

This was not the original name for Hot ‘Lanta. Prior to Marthasville the name Terminus was used as rail lines terminated in the area.

I mean no disrespect to Martha, however, I'm awfully glad the name was changed!

If There Has to Be a First Post Then This Is It

Georgia is on my mind.

A place that started out as a haven for debtors and where high hopes were put in the tiny but powerful silk worm.

A place with interesting characters such as the outspoken Zell Miller and visionaries such as Henry Grady who coined the phrase "New South". Where politicians always entertain by riding a bicycle backwards in the style of Lester Maddox or slug U.S. Capital policemen in the footsteps of Cynthia McKinney.

A place with interesting historical events such as the Yazoo Land Fraud, a time of three governors, the Temple bombing, and Sherman's March to the Sea.

A place with hallowed battle fields such as Kettle Creek, Chickamauga, and Kennesaw Mountain.

The hub of the Civil Rights Movement with such citizens as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Hosiah Williams, Ralph David Abernathy, and others.

The home of The Varsity, the world's busiest airport, and the city too busy to hate.

The home of natural wonders such as Stone Mountain, Cloudland Canyon , Cumberland Island, and Tallulah Gorge.

Georgia is a wonderful place to live and learn. After reading some of my postings I hope you will agree with me.