Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Stone Mountain, Georgia

Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, in the United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. Stone Mountain is located in the eastern part of Dekalb County and is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.

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Main Street in Stone Mountain Village

Seal
Motto: "A City of Vision" 

History

former City Hall and the police station
 
In 1822, the area that now makes up the city of Stone Mountain was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County. A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson built a hotel along the road in 1836. At around the same time, Aaron Cloud built an observation tower at the summit of the mountain. Visitors to the mountain would travel to the area by rail and road, and then walk up the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) mountaintop trail to the top, where Cloud also had a restaurant and club.
By 1839, a general store was added, and a village was established under the name New Gibraltar. The name was officially changed to Stone Mountain by the Georgia legislature in 1847.The town is named for nearby Stone Mountain. During the Civil War, Stone Mountain village was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864.

Post-Civil War history

The Ku Klux Klan was revived in Stone Mountain in 1915, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech consequently includes the line "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia."

Geography

While the city of Stone Mountain itself is in DeKalb County, some of the town's mailing addresses are in Gwinnett County.

Economy

The mountain has contributed to the city's economy both through its continuing status as a tourist attraction and its former use as a granite quarry.

Arts and culture

Stone Mountain is the site of a famous giant carving commemorating the military leaders of the Confederacy, as well as a state park and museum, including a tourist railroad.

Sports

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games tennis, archery and track cycling tournaments were held in Stone Mountain Park.

Education

The schools serving the City of Stone Mountain and nearby areas in DeKalb County are operated by the DeKalb County Public Schools. Nearby areas in Gwinnett County are served by the Gwinnett County Public Schools.

The Administrative and Instructional Complex of the DeKalb County School District is located in an unincorporated area near Stone Mountain. The DeKalb County Public Schools East DeKalb Campus, a district facility, is also located in an unincorporated area near Stone Mountain.


DeKalb County Public Library operates the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library .

Notable people

External links

Source: Internet