Roosevelt Boulevard and the new bridge were dedicated on July 18, 1925. The Atlanta Constitution reported, “6,000 Georgians attend dedication of Roswell bridge and formal opening of Roosevelt Boulevard to public.” The bridge was christened with river water by Margaret Carpenter, daughter of the Cobb County Road commissioner. A wreath was placed on the bridge in memory of J. D. Wing, by his daughter Virginia Wing.

The DeKalb County Fire Department began in 1934 as the Druid Hills Fire Department.  This was a subscription service for the Druid Hills neighborhoods.  A 1934 fire engine that was known by the name Old Maude was purchased by J. V. Draughn, the owner of this private fire service.

J. C. Finley lived in the section house that still stands. He shared his memories of that time with Lynne Byrd.

The June 11, 1942, edition of the Atlanta Constitution shared an announcement from Washington, D.C., “Scrap salvage campaign will begin shortly.” The War Production Board asked that everyone across the country collect metal, rubber, fats and oils.

One of the ferries was run by the Jett family. James Jett and Rosanna Gregory Jett brought their family from South Carolina to Georgia around 1810. The couple had ten children. According to “Roswell: A Pictorial History,” James Jett began operating a ferry in 1819.   

If you have seen the 1959 film Pillow Talk, you will remember how Jan, played by Doris Day, kept trying to use the phone only to find that Brad, played by Rock Hudson, was constantly on their party line.  A party line consists of multiple telephone subscribers connected to the same land line. 

Roswell Road was once a forty-foot-wide concrete road known as Roosevelt Boulevard between 1925 and 1927. The road was named for President Theodore Roosevelt, whose mother’s childhood home was Bulloch Hall in Roswell. Roosevelt returned home by way of the Roswell Railroad in 1905. You can read more about Roosevelt’s visit here.