Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Revolutionary War veterans in DeKalb County

According to “The History of DeKalb County: 1822-1900” by Vivian Price, twenty-one veterans of the Revolutionary War lived their last days and are buried in DeKalb County, including portions of DeKalb that later became Fulton County. Here is a brief history of a few of those soldiers.  

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Redan and Shady Grove Schools 1916

Redan School and Shady Grove Schools are included in the 1916 book, “Educational Surveys of DeKalb County and Union County, Georgia.” I am slowly working my way through the schools in this book.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

DeKalb County Schools survey 1916, Doraville and Tucker

I recently came across a book online titled “Educational Surveys of DeKalb and Union County Georgia,” dated 1916. It includes photos and short descriptions of all the DeKalb County Schools at the time. I was glad to discover the DeKalb History Center had a copy of the book and went to see it in their archives.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

I-285 completed 1969, part of GA 400 opens in 1971

7.4 miles of I-285 on the east side of Atlanta opened in 1968. The entire 64 mile circumferential highway was completed October 15, 1969, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

The women of the early DeKalb County library

The Decatur Library was first established in 1925 in the Decatur Bank & Trust Company Building. Later it operated in City Hall. Maud Burrus was one of the women who served as a part time Decatur librarian during that time until 1930 when she became full-time librarian.

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

Tuggle airfield in Decatur

Manget tells some history of Camp Gordon and Naval Air Station Atlanta as well as aviation history for DeKalb County. He explains that at one time DeKalb County had three airports, Gunn Airfield, DeKalb Peachtree, and Stone Mountain

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Valerie Biggerstaff Valerie Biggerstaff

The shopping experience of 1965, Briarcliff Village

A grand opening ceremony was held at the new Briarcliff Village on Thursday, March 25, 1965. A full page ad in the March 24, 1965 Atlanta Journal announced the new shopping center with details about the 26 stores and services. The ad describes Briarcliff Village as “set amid an intimate courtyard.”

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