Atlanta Underground: History from Below

by Jeffrey Morrison

Atlanta Underground presents a city history through the lens of its buried and paved-over urban landscape. Atlanta has been built, rebuilt, destroyed and rebuilt so many times that it has created an artificial surface dozens of feet above the original ground plane, leaving room to explore the stories that lie below. Clues and paved-over evidence of the original streetscape are still accessible, but only to those who know where to look. The story begins with the railroads that brought people and business to Atlanta, and the intersections of transportation that Atlanta eventually outgrew. This tour of the city's history include the former sites of Union Station, Underground Atlanta and the Zero Milepost, and the unusual attempts to fill the void they left behind (a wax museum, musical instrument museum, a skating rink).

Contemporary photos of this urban spelunking landscape will illustrate this telling of Atlanta’s how it came to be where it is, how it acquired its unique name, and how its colliding street grids were established.

The rapid growth and change of Atlanta’s many lives has led to some downright interesting hidden locations and architectural curiosities, and AtlantaUnderground will reveal them one by one.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2019

Reviews

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a native Georgian, this book really intrigued me. Most residents of the state, eventually spend some time in Atlanta. Each time I am there, it is always an adventure. One of the reason it is so adventurous is the streets that go in so many directions. I had no idea it was because of the railroads being the original reason for the city's existence. This book uses photos, maps, and text to tell the story of Atlanta in relation to the railroad systems of the past and how they still influence the city today. This is a great book for Southern or train history buffs.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and haunting black & white photographs show the history of Atlanta beneath its modern streets in Atlanta Underground.

Atlanta began as a meeting of three major railways in an obscure spot in the South. Jobs created by those railroads brought people. But the rail lines also brought Sherman to Atlanta to destroy it. After the Civil War, Atlanta was quickly rebuilt into a bustling hub of commerce that also focused on railroads to prosper.

All I know of Atlanta is in the movie Gone With the Wind. Atlanta Underground shows me that world abandoned and built over by the progress of the modern day city of Atlanta.

At once both a history and an urban archaeology, this book connects modern day Atlanta to its past by revealing still existing ruins of its railroading history. It is recommended to Atlanta residents and visitors as well as railroad enthusiasts. 4 stars!

Thanks to Globe Pequot, Rowman & Littlefield and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atlanta Underground: History from Below from Jeffrey Morrison is an interesting history with a lot of beautifully stark black and white photographs.

While the history is told "through the lens of its buried and paved-over urban landscape" it is further narrowed by glossing over some of the blatantly racist and classist aspects of many of the urban growth from the 1950s to the present. Solid communities divided without regard for the strong bonds of community there and divided by highways or other "renewal" projects. Renewal for whom is the question, certainly not for the residents already living there, but rather for the groups wanting to move in or for the moneygrubbers wanting profit over humanity or the politicians wanting to split communities that they didn't like. Having said all this, I rated the book higher because while it would have been nice to get a more true history in that regard, this book was first and foremost about how the railroads are the reason for the existence of Atlanta. The early history here is the better one, as it moves towards the present more and more details have to be glossed over to keep the focus on the paving and burying of the past. It is for another book to tell the actual history of dividing strong communities and turning such neighborhoods into isolated wastelands, then blaming the residents for how they live. Typical gentrification and splitting of communities for less than ethical reasons.

The history, as I mentioned, of the early laying out of the city, how the railroads divided the city into the strange grids we still see, and how the United States marched through the traitorous area and laid waste, after, of course, the Confederate soldiers had already looted and laid waste as they were leaving, is all told very well. But the real treat of this book is the photography. While there isn't a lot of looking from below and having a surface view to realize exactly where each scene is, if you know the city at all you can picture it because Morrison tells us what is over or next to each image we see. Hauntingly beautiful photography.

Recommended for readers of rail history as well as southern history. And certainly most people who have ever spent time in the city will enjoy it also. I think many fans of URBEX will also enjoy the photographs and the descriptions.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work as a research librarian in the Metro-Atlanta area and I love getting new questions about the history of the region. I have also been to Underground Atlanta many years ago as a kid when my dad took me on a tour of the shops that were still open down there.

This is a wonderful collection of stories about the area around the Gulch and how the modern urban area formed around it. It’s impossible to go into Atlanta without seeing a MARTA train or the CSX cars rumbling up and down the tracks. The author did extensive research on this and includes a marvelous bibliography for the included facts and photos. I have already considered recommending this book for our Atlanta history collection.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, for numerous reasons. I am from Georgia and reading this book about the city I love was so interesting! I was able to read about areas that I have visited , but what really was fun for me was reading about the trains and the way it played a part in Atlanta and her history. My dad worked for one of those railroads from the time he was 17 until he retired, so being able to read a more in depth history about the railroads made me feel a little closer to him. Thank you for writing such an interesting and knowledgeable book. I learned a lot and am grateful!




I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning black and white photography brought the history of the unknown Atlanta to life.

I've visited Atlanta many times but was not aware of the secret underground. The author does a good job of telling the story of times past. While he doesn't address all of the history, it was enough to pique my curiosity and left me eager to explore the area.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early release copy.

[Nadege · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty disappointed with this book. The photos aren't that good and it's often hard to really see what the photographer tried to show us.

The text (85% of the book) was not something I enjoyed. While the history and glossary vocabulary was nice, I think a lot of what was written didn't have a place in a book.

[Patricia Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating journey through the founding of Atlanta and the influence of the railways on the city. Illustrated with high quality photographs that make you want to go and explore for yourself to see what else you can find. A travelogue and history of the city all in one, the author has an easy writing style that makes this a book that you will want to pick up and read again and again.

[Jim White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the local historical perspective.

[Darren Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very interesting to learn about the history of downtown Atlanta, especially with the Gulch development happening right now. An enjoyable, easy read.