Jot Em Downs all over map

Q: How did Jot Em Down Road, off of Ga. 400, get its name? —Kathy McDonough, Peachtree Corners A: Grab a pencil. There are a few Georgia roads — and even a community — with Jot Em Down as their name, including this stretch of road in Forsyth County, which makes a looping path from Ga. 400 before ending at Browns Bridge Road near Lake Lanier. And they seem to have similar origins. This Jot Em Down Road received its name from a common saying at a local general store. “Patrons would go in to purchase their staples, (and) upon receiving the merchandise, they would say ‘jot it down, till my crops come in,’ meaning to charge their purchase,” Jimmy McConnell, co-president of the Historical Society of Forsyth County, told me in an email. The name of the place was changed to Jot Em Down Store, resulting in the name of the road. A Jot Em Down Store was so popular in Pierce County that the unincorporated community was named Jot Em Down, according to “Georgia Place-Names,” a book by Kenneth Krakow. He states some of the Jot Em Down names might have originated from the stores’ employees writing down their customers’ requests before retrieving goods from the shelves. Others might have come from the Jot ‘em Down Store on the “Lum and Abner” radio show that ran from 1931-54. Q: Has the Super Bowl been played in Atlanta? If so, when? A: The Georgia Dome was only 2 years old when it hosted its first Super Bowl on Jan. 30, 1994. The second time the Super Bowl was played in Atlanta, coincidentally, occurred on the same date six years later. The Dallas Cowboys turned Super Bowl XXVIII into a super rout as they dominated the second half for a 30-13 win over Buffalo Bills. In 2000, Super Bowl XXXIV provided a super ending to a dismal week in which an ice storm blasted the city. St. Louis’ Mike Jones stopped Tennessee’s Kevin Dyson near the goal line on the final play of the game to preserve the Rams’ 23-16 victory on what became known as “The Tackle.” If you’re new in town or just have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston at q&a@ajc.com.