The Train Ride to Atlanta
Editors Note: Dean Brown grew up in Fayette County, Georgia, when it had only one paved highway and horse drawn wagons mingled with a few automobiles on the roads - quite a contrast to the Fayette County of today, which is often ranked as one of the fastest growing and most affluent counties in the state. Now in his 70s, he has assembled a collection of “Little Stories” that are entertaining tales and snapshot history lessons about how much the South has changed in one man’s lifetime. Here’s his recollection of riding the train to Atlanta as a small boy. If you enjoy this “Little Story” there are more on his PopSpin website. Mr. Brown would like to hear from you with your Southern Stories and so would Brown’s Guide.
The Southern Railway ran a route passing through Fayetteville to Atlanta in the morning, coming back through Fayetteville in the late afternoon. When I was about four or five I went to Atlanta on this train and remember it very well.
Atlanta’s Terminal Station, the station where Dean Brown disembarked after his train ride from Fayetteville. Terminal station opened in May 1905 and served Southern Railway, Central of Georgia, and Atlanta & West Point railroads. It closed in June 1970 and was demolished in 1972.
Mother and I had seats on the left side of the passenger car. There was a water jug mounted on the far side near the back with a push button spout and a supply of small paper cups. Mother let me get some water before the train started moving, but I had to keep my seat for the rest of the trip. I remember our stopping at Kenwood to pick up passengers. I could see Carnes’ store that served as a kind of depot. I don’t recall any of the other stops but there were a few.
When we arrived in Atlanta, we exited the train on to a broad ramp lined with fruit stands. Mother bought me a bag of California grapes (white grapes). These were the first I’d ever seen. They were sweet and had no seeds.
We walked from the ramp into the largest room I’d ever seen. Mother said this was “Terminal Station.” The ceiling seemed to go up to the sky. The walls were made of polished stone and marble. The room was filled with huge wooden benches where many people were seated. A loud speaker continually announced leaving and departing trains. There were large neon signs showing directions and naming ticket offices and restrooms. I went to the restroom with Mother. She had been holding my hand since we got off the train because she didn’t want me to get lost. I’d never seen a toilet like this. There were four or five sinks to wash your hands and a bunch of small toilet rooms each with its own potty. Most of them were free to use but there were a couple that required a dime to unlock the door.
We left the station and walked about a mile or two to some large department stores. Mother called them “dime stores.” In their basement was a large section of toys. Mother gave me a dime to spend. Most of the toys cost 5 or 10 cents. I surveyed the several long counters trying to decide if I wanted one large toy for 10¢ or two smaller ones for 5¢ each. I decided to buy two small toy soldiers.
We had lunch at the lunch counter in the store. We sat on tall stools with seats that rotated. Mother ordered me a boiled ham sandwich and a chocolate milk. The sandwich came with toasted bread, which I’d never had before. This was the best food I’d ever had and I told all my friends about it when I got home.
Mother said we had time to see a movie. We walked up the street to the Lowes Grand Theater. This was some kind of “picture show” much nicer than the tent shows I’d been to at home. We saw a “Shirley Temple “ movie. In one scene Shirley blew up a small paper bag and popped it. When we got back to Terminal Station, we had to wait a short time for our train to be called. I had finally finished all of my California grapes and decided to try Shirley’s trick and pop my bag. Boy! What a bang! It echoed through the station. Mother scolded me but seemed to understand.
I was very tired and can’t remember much of the trip back. When we arrived in Fayetteville we walked from the depot across town to my daddy’s store on the courthouse square. He was glad to see us. I told him all about the trip and showed him the toy soldiers I’d bought.
The city had been exciting but I told Mother, ”It’s good to be back in good old clean Fayetteville.”
Links:
- Read more of Dean Brown’s “Little Stories” on his website.