Alpharetta, Georgia
Atlanta is
consistently ranked one of the top cities in the U.S. for business
and family life, and Alpharetta is one of the hottest markets in
Atlanta for both commercial and residential real estate. Excellent
schools, shopping, and access to jobs combined with plenty of green
space and a down-home country atmosphere have made Alpharetta the
premiere location in Atlanta today. We hope you will come to visit
or come to stay!
FROM THE NORTH GEORGIA
MOUNTAINS to the Chattahoochee River along a Cherokee Indian trail,
a tiny village named New Prospect Camp Ground was formed. This
village, made up of tents, a log school, and arbor became a trading
post where Indians and white settlers exchanged their goods. The
surrounding countryside provided excellent farming land, especially
for cotton. On December 11, 1858, the town was chartered and became
the county seat of Milton County. The town was renamed Alpharetta
from the Greek words "alpha" meaning first and "retta" meaning town.
In 1932, Milton County was merged into Fulton County.
Today, Alpharetta
is a modern, growing community of more than 30,000 residents and a
center for employment. Looking around the city, it is not hard to
understand why Alpharetta has grown so rapidly in recent years. If
you are going to relocate to Atlanta consider Alpharetta, its
wonderful housing coupled with excellent schools, fine
recreational amenities and a safe, healthy environment have combined
to make Alpharetta's quality of life second to none.
Providing
year-round sports, activities and special events, the Alpharetta
Recreation and Parks Department is nationally accredited and
recognized for its outstanding programs for children, adults, and
seniors. In addition, the department manages and operates one of the
finest equestrian facilities in the southeast at
Wills
Park. The Greenway system along Big Creek provides a
safe and environmentally pleasing pathway to enjoy quiet leisure
time.
Alpharetta History
Alpharetta and Milton County can trace their
history to the
time of the resettlement of the Cherokee
Indian Nation in the 1830’s. First, drawn by
the promise of free Indian lands, a few
somewhat itinerant setters moved into the
area. These first pioneers were soon
followed by permanent farmers and merchants
who were the fortunate winners of the land
lotteries of the early 1830’s.
The first permanent landmark in the area was
the New Prospect Campground, often referred
to as the "Methodist Camp Ground". This
campground was located next to a natural
spring just north of the present "downtown"
section of Alpharetta. A "Camp Meeting" in
that era was the social and cultural
highlight of the year for the families
living on isolated farms with few travel
options.
1858 was the year Alpharetta can date as its
birth as a town. On December 11 of that
year, Alpharetta was legally chartered.
Prior to July of that year, the town was
known as the "Town of Milton". The original
town charter provided that the City could
pass a tax on every grocery store, retailing
liquor store, hallway and billiard table of
not more than $25.00 per year. Another
provision of that charter was the right to
levy a tax of $25.00 on every show that may
be exhibited within the City. The first
report of the City Trustees showed a balance
of $1,302. 00 for fiscal year 1859.
A courthouse and jail were soon constructed,
and with building costs being what they
were, the final bill for the completed
facility was $2,400. This building served
as a landmark for the city limits because,
according to the charter, the limits were to
extend in a one-half mile radius from the
Courthouse. By the time of the Civil
War, Alpharetta had grown to a fair sized
town with three hotels, several mercantile
shops, numerous churches and a school. The
farms around the area were for the most part
small family farms and the majority of the
farmers were not slave owners.
In 1863, an epidemic of smallpox spread
through town. In one instance, 16 cases of
the disease were recorded in two families
alone. Guards were hired to keep people from
leaving their quarantine and thereby
spreading the sickness further.
Many of these early records are incomplete
because as the left flank of the Union Army
passed through Milton County, the original
Courthouse was burned. In fairness, it was
never established whether it was burned by
the Union Troops or by retreating
Confederate soldiers. In any case, one
enterprising citizen, a Dr. O. P. Skeleton
salvaged many of the court documents and
carried them to a hiding place in Jackson
County and promptly billed the City $30.00
for "services rendered". Later, the City
paid O.P.’s friend, John Webb, $60.00 to
bring them back.
As the Civil War drew to a close,
Alpharetta, along with the rest of the
South, suffered a period of economic
hardship. These "hard times" tended to draw
folks together and a sense of community
identity began to grow. But, as hard as
these times were, Milton County faired
better than many areas. Since the area was
populated primarily by small farms and
merchants, the collapse of the "Plantation"
economy had nowhere near the impact as in
other communities.
In the next decades, growth in Milton County
was steady, but never spectacular. The area
was hampered by the lack of a railroad,
around which most growth in those times was
centered. The nearest railroad dead-ended at
the river in Roswell. It is ironic that in
those times a railroad was so important, but
today the absence of a noisy and dangerous
railroad track is considered desirable for
community development.
When the depression of the early 1930’s
devastated the nation’s economy, Milton
County found itself near bankruptcy. In
order to save the area from disaster, it was
decided that a merger of Milton County with
Fulton County would be to everyone’s
advantage. It was because of this merger
that the first roads began to be paved.
Until that time, the only paved roads in the
area were State Highway 19 (now Highway 9)
and 120 (now Old Milton Parkway).
Today, Alpharetta is one of the fastest
growing communities in the South. Its
environment is considered ideal for raising
families and living a quality lifestyle free
from the problems found in so many similar
sized cities.
Call
Deanna for Alpharetta Luxury Homes
