With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away, I enjoy thinking back to the holiday during my childhood years. Since I grew up in Atlanta, we had a southern traditional meal with turkey, sweet potatoes, dressing, other side dishes and of course pie. My mom sometimes baked a cream cheese pound cake, two kinds of pie, and some chocolate chip cookies when she became a grandmother.

Lisa Lane in Dunwoody was named for two sisters in the Kirby family-Lisa and Lane. I received confirmation of this story from Lane, except her name is spelled Laine.   Laine Kirby Wood and her family grew up in a nineteenth century farmhouse on what is now Lisa Lane. 

The McDonald’s restaurant at 5220 Buford Highway was one of the earliest McDonald’s in Georgia. The June 23, 1961 Atlanta Constitution had a short announcement, “McDonald’s hamburger chain has announced the start of construction on its third Atlanta area restaurant unit, a $125,000 facility on the Buford Highway in Doraville, in its 265 restaurant chain covering 34 states.”

In 1945, Fischer sold the house and gardens to John W. and Frania Lee. John Lee died in 1951, but Frania continued to live there until 1959. Mrs. Lee then sold close to 50 acres to the Atlanta Diocese of the Catholic Church for $10. The home became D’Youville Academy, a convent and school for girls.  The name D’Youville came from the founder of the Sisters of Charity or Gray Nuns of Montreal, Marie Marguerite d’Youville.

Today I’m focusing on photos and documents related to the General Motors assembly plant in Doraville. On opening day, June 15, 1948, assembly line workers had a big surprise when a 1909 Buick came down the line. Jesse Lee Smith of Lawrenceville drove the vintage car that had been bought by his father and was still running just fine. Smith was a new employee of the plant, working in the chassis department. (The Eagle, Tucker Federal newsletter, March-April 1984)

Ida Wallace Carroll was the daughter of William R. Wallace and Nancy Wallace. William R. Wallace owned a water-powered lumber mill and produced fine furniture in Chamblee along Nancy Creek along what is now Chamblee Dunwoody Road.

John Ripley Forbes set up nature and science centers in over 30 states and 200 communities across the United States. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell and Dunwoody Nature Center. He is responsible for the John Ripley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve on Roswell Road next door to North Fulton Service Center in Sandy Springs.