Atlanta (Images of America)

Atlanta is located in Cass County in East Texas, an agricultural area that focuses on livestock and timber. Cass County was named for Lewis Cass, a Michigan senator who was in favor of Texas annexation. However, during the Civil War, Cass fell out of favor with the locals because he was against Texas secession. In 1872, Atlanta became an official town, and settlers named their new settlement after their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In 1954, Texas acquired 1,475 acres of land that would become the Atlanta State Park. Football is also a very popular part of life here, second only to hunting and fishing. The plentiful woods and beautiful lakes in the area draw many visitors and retirees.

Sisters Heather and Sarah grew up in Atlanta and spent much of their lives there. Most of the images in the book came from the Atlanta Public Library, courtesy of the Cass County Genealogical Society. A few local citizens also contributed images, including Heather's former teacher Julia Mays, whose husband, a local realtor, has helped her identify several locations.