Acworth’s ties to rail, water continue after 150 years

Q: How did the city of Acworth get its name?

A: The Cobb County city got its start as a small railway settlement called Northcutt Station in the 1800s. But Joseph L. Gregg, a local engineer and early settler, introduced a new name in 1843, calling it Acworth, for his hometown of Acworth, N.H.

The new name stuck and in 1860, the growing commu- nity officially incorporated. At that time, Acworth was known for being the first water stop for trains head- ing north from Atlanta on the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Acworth, N.H., on the other hand, wasn’t named after another town, but for England’s Sir Jacob Acworth in 1766.

Just a few years after Geor- gia’s Acworth was incor- p orated, however, the city was almost entirely burned. During the Civil War, Acworth stood at a crucial point along Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s 1864 March to the Sea, said Abbie Parks, chair of the Acworth Tourism Bureau Authority.

Parks said Union soldiers originally planned to use the town’s rail access to reach Atlanta, but ultimately had to travel through Roswell instead. With Acworth no longer serving a strategic purpose, the soldiers saw lit- tle reason to keep the city’s buildings intact.

“Most of the town was burned by Sherman’s troops after that,” Parks said.

Acworth, along with the rest of the Cobb County cities burned during the war, bounced back in the post- war years through agricul- ture. The count y rebuilt its railroads by 1866, and with those reopened, the area leaned heavily into cot- ton production. This success carried over into the 20th century, but the Great Depression and boll weevil infestations eventually caught up, spiking the crop’s success in the county.

Nearly 100 years after the Civil War ended, the Allatoona Dam brought a new era of prosperity to Acworth, and with it, a new nickname, “The Lake City.”

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished building Allatoona Dam along the Etowah River in 1949, the city of Acworth found itself situ ated along the shores of two newly created lakes, Lake Allatoona and Lake Acworth. The project provided flood control and hydroelectric power for the surrounding area, while also giving Acworth an appealing tourist attraction.

Parks said the nick- name began appearing in marketing campaigns in the 1950s, as the town started using the lake’s recreation areas to attract visitors.

At first, the facilities at the two lakes were outdated. But in 1950, just a few months after the dam was completed, residents met with Gov. Herman Talmadge, who was running for re-election.

Talmadge asked the townspeople what he could do to earn their vote, she said. Acworth’s new lakes still lacked bathhouses, beaches and other facilities, so the residents asked for $20,000.

After Talmadge won the election, Parks said thegovernor met with the city a second time, but he was unable to remember exactly what his campaign vow had been. When he asked how much he had promised to give, Parks said the townspeople told him the project’s value was $100,000, instead of $20,000.

Acworth received $100,000, she said, and the new lakeside facilities gave credence to the city’s nickname. Actual Factual Georgia now runs on Sundays. If you’re new in town or have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail q&a@ajc.com or call 404-222-2002.