By Kate Stow
The following list of the first Atlanta residents was published in the centennial edition of the Citizens Journal on August 31, 1972 (At the time this list was originally recorded, only the head of the household – the father or oldest son – was named. Females were only listed if they were widows living alone or single business owners): Adams, J.W. (Cuff); Albright, George; Alexander, Ham; Allday, Ebb, LF, and RS; Allen, Clint, Sam and Walter; Bailey, Ed; Baker, Buck, Jim, John, L.S. and SL; Ball, Will; Barber, George C.; Bass, JR; Bates, John; Benefield, Sam; Bentley, Will; Bickman, Calvin and JD; Blaydes, Allie, RM, Robert, Si and Will; Boley, Eaf and George; Boyles, RE; Brahm, L; Brewer, George, John and Will; Browning, William’ Bruce, Tom; Butler, Jess; Camp, Van; Carney, Charles and Hugh; Carwile,Dud and Will; Cavein, T; Chamblee, Dick and John; Childs, JC; Christian, Fletcher; Churchman, Bob; Cloninger, Ben; Culberson, Will; Coke, Mrs. Dodd; Cole, CB; Coon, John; Cope, RT; Crawford, Berry and JR; Crone, Harmon; Cross, WB; Curry, Hugh; David, Looney; Day, Bill; Dodd, Jesse; Dunklin, George and Jim; Dyer, Jace and Woodson; Eddleman, Sill; Edelstob, Ed; Ellington, Ben F; Estes, Hawker; Fears, Jim; Figures, Bill; Fletcher, JM; Florence, Wash; Francis, Jim; Gillispie, Tom; Glass, Ben; Goodwin, Peter; Gorman, Charles; Graham John; Greene, FM; Griffin, Jim, Joe, Lee, Sid and Wes; Groves, Sam, Tom and Will; Guest, Will; Hames, George; Hardy, AR and John; Harp, Marselis; Hays, Jim; Henderson, William; Hensy, Bill; Hines, Lee and Miles; Hinkle, AL and TB; Hobby, George; Hogan, Dick and Pete; Hornsey, Chris and John; Howe, Emmett, Will and Tom; Hughes, Ebb, George, Mrs. Hattie, Mrs. Jennie JH (Yank), Jim, Joel, John, JW and Tom; Humphrey, Jim; Hutchison, Ben; Iles, Jessie’ Jackson, Jim; James, Dave; Jeter, Virgil; Johnson, Cary, JD and WS; Kaleski, Sam; Kelley, Charles; Kitts, George; Lacy, Frank; Lanier, Bill and Bob; Law, John and JW; Lea, Sam; Lee, Clem; Linsay, Davis; Lockett, Bob; Looney, MV; Lunday, Jim; Massey, Josiah; Maxey, A, Jim, JM and John; McCall, Will; McClung, Joe, OC, RL, Ross and Waddie; McCoy, Hess; McDonald, Sam; McDuff, Dick; McGee, Josh; McKenzie, Mary E; McReynolds, JD, Joe, Johnnie, and Justin; McWilliams, John; Meadows, Sam T; Meeks, Billie and John; Mercer, Charlie; Miles, A and TA; Miller, George and Virgil; Mims, Lena; Mitchell, Charlie; Moore, CH and Rob; Moores, Charles; Morris, John; Morrison, Charlie; Morriss, Josh and Will; Morse, A; Moss, John; Murph, PG; Murphy, John; Northern, Will; O’Dell, John A; Oden, Josh; O’Farrell, JB; O’Neal, HA and HF; Orman, Jim; Paul, GT; Paulett, Henry; Pepper, JM; Phillips, Elby; Pierce, JA; Porter, Jim, Joseph, R, Robert and Tom; Porterfield, Ance, Jim, L and Mat; Powell, CC and Selby; Proctor, SL and Will; Rand, Ed; Ray, Henry and WH; Richardson, George; Richie, Mrs Jane; Roach, Lynn; Rosser, RE; Rush, Ellis and Peter; Salmon, George H and Will; Sampler, Charlie; Scott, Buck, High, P.R., Sam, WA and Will; Sewell, Bill and John; Shelton, G; Sillman, John; Singletary, Ben, Ed, George, John and Tom; Smith, AC; Spell, Tom; Steger, Elbert; Stephenson, Bill; Stevens, George and Gus; Stevenson, Eliga; Stone, Ruff; Stuckey, Bill and I; Swint, Jim; Taylor, Eads, Frank, Joe, Jim and Thad; Thomas, Bill and Joe; Torrance, Pat; Wadkins, Henry; Walker, John; Walters, A; Watley, Dolph; Weims, Dude; Weir, Andrew, Dick, Henry and Shep; Weismer, George; White, JL; Wicks, Commadore and Lee; Wilks, Cio and Mary; Willis, Howell, John, Sam and TRA; Wilmoth, George W; Wilson, Tom; Wood, Bailey.
John H. Harvey
Ice was a “hot” commodity in the early days of Atlanta, and in 1883 John H. Harvey opened the first ice house, located in the area in front of Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. Harvey moved to Atlanta from Cusseta (between Douglassville and Naples) to start his business on alongside the new railroad.
Little is known about Harvey’s early years. He was born September 14, 1847 in England and married Americus Eudora Wright, who was born in 1862 in Georgia. Their daughter Bessie was born in 1881. Both John and Americus are buried in Pine Crest Cemetery.
He sold two kinds of ice: frozen lake water shipped in from the Great Lakes, dirt and all; and later, artificial ice made from distilled water brought in from Marshall, Texas
After a few years in the ice business, Harvey expanded his operation to include a bottling works. At that time, the firm took on the name of Lone Star Bottling Works.
In a 1972 issue of the Citizens Journal, former employee Will Howe recalled his first job there as a young boy. “The bottles were shipped in and we had to wash them before they could be used. Now in those days, everything was done by hand.
“The soda pop that he used was made right there in the building. He’d buy carbonated water and add the flavorings to that. There was one for a lemon, one for strawberry, one for grape, etc.
“When it came time to put the pop in the bottles, he would have us do it one at a time. There were no bottle caps as we have today. Instead, he used rubber stoppers. Once the bottle was filled, the top of the stopper was to be pushed in in order to get anything out.”
The company remained in the same one-room building for 34 years until Harvey sold the business in 1917.
J.M. Peppers
James Monroe Pepper, son of J.J. Pepper, was a native of Georgia and was born on March 24, 1867.
Inie McClung and James Monroe Pepper were married on October 27, 1890, in Okla Union, Wilbarger County, and moved to Atlanta soon after. She was the daughter of Dr. R.L. McClung and was born in Lafayette, Upshur County, Texas on April 8, 1871. She moved to Atlanta with her parents in 1873 when her father became a pioneer physician of this area.
For a number of years, Mr. and Mrs. Pepper lived in the “pink house” which was later known as the home of Mrs. Tilford Hughes. The Peppers later moved to William Street in the present location of Cass County Fitness.
Jim Pepper dealt in livestock and his barn was located on the lot where Woods Plaza now stands on Hiram Street. He also was a Mason and was very active in civic affairs.
Mrs. Pepper was a member of the Eastern Star and was an active member of the Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School and was president of the missionary society. She also donated a large amount of her time to assisting with illnesses, births and deaths.
Nine children were born to the Peppers, and all of them grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Atlanta High School. The children included Onie Lummus, Bess Russell, John, Charles, Addine Crawford, Jim, Doris Moore, Inie May Chesser and Loreta Fortner. Both Inie and James are buried in Pine Crest Cemetery.