DeKalb County & Atlanta

Did you know that DeKalb County was created by land ceded from Henry County after the Indians were relocated to Northwest Georgia. The original boundaries were from Stone Mtn. in the East, to the Chattahoochie in the West, and North from Henry Co. all the way to a bend in the "Hooch" that led into Gwinett. Yes, that's right, Atlanta and all of Fulton County was originally Henry and then DeKalb County.

Originally, Atlanta was named "Standing Peachtree" by the Native Indians. When the land was sold, a man named Thrasher named it after himself. When settlers arrived, they changed it to Terminus because of the new railroad construction going on. That was a bad name and subsequently they changed it to Marthasville, named after Thrasher's wife. A few years later, John Thomson, the railroad chief suggested the name Atlantica Pacifica and the town shortened it to Atlanta.

When Thrasher was founded, DeKalb County ceded the land to be a new county, Fulton, and a line was drawn halfway from Decatur to Thrasher running due North and South.