Tuggle airfield in Decatur

While reading through the transcript of a DeKalb History Center 1988 “I Remember Hour” where Doc Manget is interviewed, I was surprised by a conversation among audience members regarding Tuggle Airfield in Decatur.

Doc Manget, director of DeKalb Peachtree Airport in Chamblee from 1959 to 1990, began his aviation career at that same location in 1941, when it served as Naval Air Station Atlanta. You can read the transcript of his interview on the DeKalb History Center website.

Manget tells some history of Camp Gordon and NASA as well as aviation history for DeKalb County. He explains that at one time DeKalb County had three airports, Gunn Airfield, DeKalb Peachtree, and Stone Mountain.

During the interview, audience members, who would have attended the presentation at the old Decatur courthouse, start to ask questions and chat among themselves. Tuggle airfield is mentioned and one person says their son took flying lessons there. Another person says the first airplane they ever saw take off and land was at Tuggle airfield. The location of the airfield was along what is now Sycamore Drive.

In the May 8, 1925 Atlanta Constitution, there is a story about the “Vanguard of Flying Circus,” coming to Atlanta and featuring “Big Jack” Ashcraft. The event was held for three days at Tuggle field in Decatur, in anticipation of the completion of Candler Field, “expected to be the best field in the entire country.” Candler Field is now the location of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.

Tuggle field, named for property owner Edward Frank Tuggle, is described in this article as about half a mile beyond Decatur and to the left of the Stone Mountain Road. There was no admission charge for the event, but a small fee was charged for those wanting to take a ride in an airplane.  

The Feb. 16, 1925, edition of a periodical called “Aviation” featured an article about the landing field at Decatur, GA. “Decatur GA now has an aviation field which ranks among the finest in that part of the country, according to a recent issue of the Atlanta Constitution. E. F. Tuggle and Frank Wickersham took 75 acres and made a field, putting it in condition to be an airfield. The two men each had a plan of their own and wanted the field for convenience. They also offered it for other aviators to use.”

The airfield had two areas for takeoff, one running north to south and another running east to west. Each runway was about 1200 feet long.  Scrapers, drags and heavy rollers were used to make the fields wide, straight and smooth. There was a wooden hangar where Tuggle and Wickersham’s two Curtiss biplanes were kept. A telephone was placed at one end of the field for visiting aviators to use.

Edward Frank Tuggle died April 17, 1927 from complications following an appendectomy. His obituary in the Atlanta papers describes him as a “prominent Decatur citizen, aviator, and automobile dealer.” He began his automobile career as a Ford Motor Company salesman. He was a native of Bowdon, Georgia and attended Mercer University. He was a member of the Decatur Civitan Club, Pythagoras Lodge of Masons, Scottish Rite Masons, and a member of Yaarab Temple Shriners Atlanta.

E. F. Tuggle and his wife Minnie Pauline Tuggle are both buried at Decatur Cemetery. When he was buried there in 1927, flowers were dropped at his gravesite from overhead by a squadron of airplanes. The squadron was led by Doug Davis. (Atlanta Journal, April 19, 1927, “Planes Drop Flowers on Mr. Tuggle’s Grave”)

The shopping experience of 1965, Briarcliff Village

Briarcliff Village shopping center at 2100 Henderson Mill Road opened in 1965. Northlake Mall, across the road, opened six years later.

A grand opening ceremony was held at the new Briarcliff Village on Thursday, March 25, 1965. A full page ad in the March 24, 1965 Atlanta Journal announced the new shopping center with details about the 26 stores and services. The ad describes Briarcliff Village as “set amid an intimate courtyard.”

The shopping center opened with two grocery stores, Kroger and Colonial. That wasn’t unusual at the time. Nearby Chamblee Plaza opened in 1960 also with both Kroger and Colonial grocery stores.

Early Briarcliff Village included Belk-Gallant (Belk’s), J. Howard Shoes, Cricket Shop, and Star Photo. The movie theater was known as Martin’s Village Theater, described as  “DeKalb’s newest luxury theatre.” Martin Theaters was a new theater business in Atlanta, based out of Columbus, Georgia. The company began in 1912 when Roy E. Martin purchased the Bonita Theater in Columbus. (Atlanta Journal, April 4, 1965, “Martin to raise curtain on two more city theaters”)

The first movie shown at Martin’s Village Theater was “The Truth about Spring” starring Hayley Mills, John Mills and James MacArthur.

The shopping center was also home to the office of Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Boaz, Optometrists. There was a Village Beauty Shop and Briarcliff Village Barber Shop. Barber Shop owners Gene Moorehead and Hoke Tanner had free pony rides at the grand opening. Other stores included Village Record Shop, Village Shoe Service, Frank Walters Jewelry, Armer’s Cards, G C Murphy, Galaxy Drugs, Economy Auto Store, and Cream House.

Johnny Reb’s, a Confederate themed restaurant, is listed as part of the 1965 version of Briarcliff Village. However, thanks to a reader’s research, we know that the restaurant never opened at the shopping center.

Dr. Jack Schreeder and Dee Schreeder of Chamblee

Several alumni of Chamblee High School shared their memories of Dr. Jack and Dee Schreeder when I was looking for stories about the couple. The alumni were grateful for all that Jack and Dee did for them and for the community.

Dr. John Marvel Schreeder, known as Jack or Doc, first moved to Chamblee in 1933 with his family. He attended Georgia Tech, earning a degree in Public Health Engineering. On Christmas Eve 1940, he married Dee Stevens. They lived in a home on about 12 acres next door to Chamblee Methodist Church, where the Regency Cove subdivision is today.

Dr. Schreeder served during World War II in the Mediterranean and European theaters and was awarded the Bronze Star and French War Cross. After the war, he attended Emory University Medical School. He did his residency at Grady Memorial Hospital and Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee. Then he joined Dr. W. A. Mendenhall’s office and small hospital in Chamblee.

Several of the former students were delivered by Dr. Schreeder; in his office, at hospitals, and sometimes at their home. When there was an emergency at night, he made house calls.

Terri Joiner Jones remembers Dr. Mendenhall, and later Dr. Schreeder, had an office next door to Chamblee High School. According to Leah Carden Jennings, Dr. Schreeder, known as Doc Schreeder, was the Chamblee football doctor. “He patched my husband’s broken ribs and sent him back in the game.” Tony Martin, who returned to Chamblee later to coach, shared a memory of Dr. Schreeder setting his collarbone during halftime of a football game in 1959. Martin was a Senior at the time. Gary Gentry recalls that Doc set his broken nose three times in one day.

Ric Smith remembers, “I think Doc was at almost every home football game through my sophomore year-1977. He was visible before games. I remember he had a hat that reminded me of Bear Bryant.”

Chamblee High School was the only high school in north DeKalb County for a long time, until new schools were built. Cross Keys opened in 1958, Sequoyah in 1964, and Peachtree in 1968.

The Schreeders did not have children, but they helped many young people in the community by giving them a place to live, for any reason. Jimmie Hatch Batchelor says they often housed students so they could remain at Chamblee High School. The couple housed several teenage boys through the years, but occasionally they housed girls and younger children.

Dee Schreeder was the leader of Girl Scout Troop 348. Sandra Herndon remembers Dr. Schreeder giving the girls vaccinations before they left for summer camp.

The Chamblee Garden Club met at the Schreeder home and Dee served as President of the North Clairmont Woman’s Club, who sponsored a Rock n Roll clubhouse for local teens. (Atlanta Constitution, April 15, 1957, “Movies, Teen-age Dancing Group are Sponsored by Woman’s Club”)

Vivian Price Saffold says the Schreeders donated money for the first CHS bulldog mascot around 1967 and kept it at their home. The mascot was known as Cham or Cham B. Lee. Tony Martin also recalls the English bulldogs the Schreeders raised as the team mascot, which they would bring to pep rallies.

Bob McMains, who lived with the Schreeders for two years remembers the couple fondly. They offered a home to McMains in 1959 so he could finish high school at Chamblee. His mother needed to relocate due to an illness.

Looking back on his time with the Schreeders, McMains says, “For the first time in my life, I was not in control of my comings and goings. I was expected for breakfast, dinner, study time, and chore time. Much of what I was to become in life was due to their help and example.” After McMains graduated from Chamblee he continued to live with the Schreeders during his first year at Oglethorpe University.

Dunwoody's early laboratory and pharmacist-Eureka!

When Dunwoody Methodist Church contructed a new sanctuary in 1970, a small tin salve box was discovered in the ground.  The box read “Eureka Ointment, Eureka Laboratory, Dunwoody Georgia.  Price 25 cents. Recommended for chapped hands, face and lips, chafes, burns, catarrh etc.” (The Story of Dunwoody 1821-2001, by Elizabeth L. Davis, Ethel W. Spruill) 

Eureka Laboratory was one of several business located along the Roswell Railroad in the early 20th century. The Roswell Railroad ran from Chamblee, through Dunwoody, to Roswell and back from 1881 until 1921. Eureka Laboratory was just off Chamblee Dunwoody Road on Nandina Lane, then known as Spruill Street, and next door to Dunwoody Methodist Church.

Lawrence Albert Ball, born 1885, and his sister Clara Elizabeth Ball, born 1890, started the business.  They were children of Reuben Greenleaf Ball and Martha Salina Brightwell Ball. 

The Ball family already had a long history in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. Albert and Clara’s grandparents were Peter and Margaret Ball, who came to Georgia from South Carolina. Peter Ball owned a mill along a creek today known as Ball Mill Creek, located along Ball Mill Road.  

Peter and Margaret Ball had four sons and five daughters. Reuben Greenleaf Ball was one of those children.    

Albert Ball received his training at the Atlanta College of Pharmacy (established 1891) and became a registered pharmacist.  Then he began developing his formulas for healing salves and lotions.

Clara Ball was known as an accomplished student and cook. She often prepared food for families facing illness or difficult times. She made face powders, perfumes and cosmetics to sell at Eureka Laboratory. 

In addition to working as a pharmacist, Albert Ball was an early mail carrier for Dunwoody, traveling the long route by horse drawn buggy.  The route went from Dunwoody to the area along Roswell Road just south of the river, over to Morgan Falls and back to Dunwoody along Mount Vernon Road.

In 1918, Albert Ball completed a draft registration card for World War I.  His registration card is signed by Mr. Tilly. There are no records to indicate that Ball was ever called to report for military duty.

1920 census records show Albert Ball lived in the same house with his mother Martha and his sister and business partner Clara. Reuben Ball died two years earlier. The space for occupation shows Albert is a student at a medical college.

When the 1950 census was recorded, Albert was 65 and Clara was 59. Albert’s occupation recorded on the document is working around the house and garden. I believe today we call that retired!

Prospect Methodist and Prosperity Presbyterian Churches in Chamblee

Three churches were established in the 1800s in a small area along Peachtree Road in Chamblee.  The building that was once Prospect Methodist Church, built in 1885, still stands at 5576 Peachtree Road.  All three churches evolved and moved through the years, two churches finding homes in new communities.  Their first locations were close to where the Native American trails known as Peachtree and Shallow Ford Trail (also known as Hightower Trail) met and near the boundary between Chamblee and Doraville.  Each had church cemeteries which remain today.

According to Vivian Price Saffold’s History of DeKalb County, the congregation of Prospect Methodist Church gathered in a log building located behind the existing church as early as 1827.  The 1885 church was originally built with two entrances, one for women and one for men, which was common at that time.  The church remained in use until the congregation voted in 1963 to build a new church on Chamblee Dunwoody Road.  This church was called Chamblee Methodist and is still active today as Chamblee First United Methodist Church. 

The 1885 church building became home to Cagle Auction house, followed by Biggar’s Antiques.  In 2019, the building was renovated, and the central portion became home to the City of Chamblee Planning and Development. As of 2024, the building is being used as commercial space, but not by the City of Chamblee.

Photo from A Century in North DeKalb

The history of Prosperity Presbyterian Church begins with members meeting at the home of Samuel McElroy in 1836.  In 1849, Joseph Stewart, one of the founding members, gave land for a church to be built.  That church was located along what is now Peachtree Road, just north of Prospect Methodist.  Although the church is gone, Prosperity Cemetery is well maintained and identified with a plaque identifying the church timeline.   

The second sanctuary was built in the same location.  According to History of Doraville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, by Flora McElroy Miller, the church had a wood stove which was used not only by worshippers on Sunday, but by those traveling in covered wagons and needing a place to spend the night.  Prosperity Presbyterian also played a role in the organization of New Hope Presbyterian in Dunwoody and Antioch Presbyterian near Embry Hills.

In 1871, the church moved to Doraville and began meeting at Doraville School at the intersection of Central Avenue and Church Street.  The name was changed to Doraville Associate Reform Presbyterian Church in 1890.  In 2000, the church moved to 5918 Spalding Drive and became Peachtree Corners Presbyterian Church. 

Corinth Baptist Church is another early Chamblee Church. Corinth Baptist became Chamblee Baptist Church, then First Baptist Church of Chamblee, and eventually Johns Creek Baptist Church. More on Corinth Baptist Church coming soon.

Beautifying the landscape of Lawson General Hospital 1942

Lawson General Hospital opened April 15, 1941, along Chamblee Tucker Road, West Hospital Avenue and Buford Highway.  After the U. S. entered World War II, it was determined that the current medical facilities across the country were not adequate. Lawson General Hospital is one of several hospitals constructed to meet that need.  Adjacent to Lawson was Naval Air Station Atlanta.

Almost a year later, in 1942, plans to improve the Lawson Hospital grounds with plants were underway. The area around the buildings had no trees, no grass and no blooming plants. The buildings were originally constructed quickly, but there was no landscaping. That meant a lot of red clay.

Celestine Sibley wrote about the upcoming improvements for the Atlanta Constitution, beginning with her thoughts on the season of Spring. “That well-known makes-you-want-to-live season of the year-the time of green-gold sunshine, sticky buds unfolding, birds singing in the trees, green grass-is going to have pretty tough going out at the new Army hospital this year.”

The Peachtree Garden Club, Atlanta affiliate of the Garden Club of America, took on the task, starting with the Red Cross building and recreation hall on the hospital property. They also planned terraces around the auditorium, croquet grounds, a horseshoe throwing space and more outdoor recreation. The garden club asked Atlanta gardeners to donate by digging out from their own plentiful gardens.

This image of Lawson General Hospital reflects the beautifying plan of 1942, with plenty of flowering shrubs and newly planted trees. 

Mrs. Frank Neely was a member of the garden club committee and said, “It will mean refreshment of spirit to soldiers, airmen and sailors who have already made physical sacrifice for their country.”

Drop off locations were set up around the city of Atlanta for people to contribute plants. WPA workmen came on the Lawson grounds to plant flowering shrubs. Trees were planted for shade.

Celestine Sibley was a reporter, author, and columnist. She wrote for The Atlanta Constitution from 1941 to 1999. Her article on the landscape improvements of Lawson and the positive effect they would have for patients was written in the first year of her long career.

(Atlanta Constitution, January 20, 1942, “Shrubs sought for Lawson Hospital Area, Atlantans asked to help beautify grounds”)

Jett Ferry and the Jett family

New blog posts each Monday

Roswell Manufacturing Company built a bridge over the Chattahoochee River in 1857, about thirty feet downstream from the current bridge.  McAfee’s Bridge, near the present-day Holcombe Bridge was built by Robert McAfee in 1834.  Before the bridges, ferries offered a way to get across the river. 

There were also two areas shallow enough to cross on foot, the Shallow Ford near today’s Roswell Road bridge and Island Ford, in the area where the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Island Ford is today. These shallow areas changed with the construction of dams, and are no longer traversable.

One of the ferries was run by the Jett family. James Jett and Rosanna Gregory Jett brought their family from South Carolina to Georgia around 1810. The couple had ten children. According to “Roswell: A Pictorial History,” James Jett began operating a ferry in 1819.    

The fourth Jett son was Theophilus, born in 1801.  Theophilus married Minerva Elizabeth Davis and they built a home at the intersection of today’s Eves Road and Terrace Club Drive in Roswell.  Eves Road was once known as Jett Road. Theophilus worked on the farm and operated the ferry in the late 1830s and early 1840s. (“The Chattahoochee River Crossings of Roswell, Georgia” by Michael D. Hitt)

This image of a covered bridge across the Chattahoochee River leading from Sandy Springs to Roswell appears in “Roswell: A Pictorial History.” This was not the original bridge but one constructed by Charles Dunwody after the Civil War. Confederate soldiers destroyed the bridge in an attempt to slow the Federals from crossing and continuing towards Atlanta and Decatur. The Union soldiers crossed the river by using the Shallow Ford, shallow area that was crossable.

Jett’s Ferry was somewhere between the location of today’s Ball Mill pump station on Old Riverside Road and where Ball Mill Creek meets the river on the south side.  Spalding Drive during this time was known as Jett Ferry Road and followed a path close to the river.  A wooden bridge over Ball Mill Creek washed out in 1929, which led to that section of the road being moved further south. 

Theophilus and Elizabeth’s son Adam Jett took over the ferry in the 1860s. The home of Adam Jett was along what is now Riverside Road in Roswell, near the intersection with Eves Road. He married Effie Anderson in 1877. After Effie died around 1890, Jett married Sarah Roberts.  

In a 1994 interview, Horace DeLong recalled picking cotton for Adam Jett. The DeLongs lived on the south side of the Chattahoochee River. Their home was in the same area as the Four Seasons neighborhood sign along Spalding Drive. DeLong remembered Adam Jett as having a “long beard down to his waist.” (Horace Delong oral history, Dunwoody Preservation Trust archives)

Local historian Jim Perkins found that the present-day Jett Ferry Road running northeast off Spalding Drive was not part of the original Jett Ferry Road, but part of the Old Nesbit Ferry Road. This would indicate that the road once led to the ferry belonging to the Nesbit family.

Many members of the Jett family are buried at the Mount Pisgah Methodist Church cemetery in Johns Creek, including Adam and Sarah Jett, Theophilus and Minerva Elizabeth Jett, and several siblings of Adam Jett.

A school bell travels from Roswell to Dunwoody

The story about the large bell that sits in front of the Spruill Center for the Arts today begins with a trip from Roswell. The bell was purchased near Roswell and brought to Dunwoody by horse and buggy. Who the bell was purchased from is not included in the story.

The earliest records of a Dunwoody School are from the late 1800s. The school was a one room wooden building. Zachariah Eidson donated land at the present site of the Dunwoody Library and Spruill Center for the Arts for the purpose of a school. 

Dunwoody school in the 1940s

Later, the one-room school was replaced with a larger painted wooden school, then a brick building.  Eventually, a modern building was built adjacent to the old school.  The older part burned in the 1960’s, an event that some Dunwoody residents still remember well.     

The bell at Dunwoody School was not only rung to announce the beginning and end of the school day, it was also rung to warn the people of Dunwoody of a fire or other emergency. 

During World War II, the bell rang to celebrate when one of the grades at the Dunwoody School had one hundred percent participation for their thrift stamp books. 

This photo of teacher Nettie Austin and her first grade students, shows them preparing to ring the school bell. The photo appears in the history book Ethel Spruill and Elizabeth Davis wrote, “The Story of Dunwoody.”

The bell today is held in a brick display structure and a white wooden historic site sign was placed nearby in 2011.

Jane Autry, a descendent of the pioneer Carpenter family, shared her memories of the bell from the 1940’s.  She remembered that the bell was in the attic of the school, with a rope that hung down in the hallway.  When every student in a grade filled out their World War II stamp book, the class would gather in the hallway for a celebration which included ringing the bell.  It would sometimes take two or three students to pull the rope and ring the heavy bell if it was a younger grade.  Principal Elizabeth Davis believed the ceremony of ringing the bell encouraged the children to fill their stamp books.

Mrs. Autry returned to Dunwoody Elementary from 1960 until 1973, when she worked as school secretary.  During this time, the new home for the bell was built. 

Other sources cited include: “The Story of Dunwoody:  1821-2001” by Elizabeth L. Davis, Ethel W. Spruill, Joyce Amacher, and Lynne Byrd. 

Charlie Agnew, Lawson General Hospital 1943

This fantastic photo of Charlie Agnew from 1943 was taken at Lawson General Hospital. Private Agnew reported to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia in August, 1943, but by September 1943 he was injured during basic training. The accident involved an obstacle course.

Private Charlie Agnew at Lawson General Hospital, 1943. Photo from collection of Valerie Biggerstaff.

He was then sent to Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee for the benefit of their sports program for injured men. As you can see in the photo, he is preparing to “boot a football.” (Acme Photos, New York City, 1943)

The photograph provides a closer view of Lawson buildings than in other photos or postcards that I have seen. I also wanted to find out more about Charlie Joseph Agnew, but found little information so far..

Here is what I know about Agnew. He was from Philadelphia, born December 8, 1924. In the 1940 census he lived with his parents in Philadelphia and when he completed his draft registration card, he listed his mother, Mary Agnew. His father was James A. Agnew..

He married Margaret Jane Tait and they had three children.

Agnew was discharged July 23, 1945 at Camp Pickett in Virginia and he lived another 57 years until 2002.

As the photo description indicated, football and other sports were important in the healing process at Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee, Georgia. Dr. P J. Moore worked there as a surgeon after Charles Agnew was there. In an interview with me, Dr. Moore described how patients were taught to use their prosthesis in daily life and how to return to their families and lives. Moore showed patients how they could play golf despite their injuries. Football and baseball were other sports for staff and patients of Lawson.

Lawson General Hospital became known as the hospital for neurosurgery and prosthetics.

Even though I didn’t learn as much as I wanted about Charlie Agnew, I still love this photograph!

Chamblee Plaza shopping center opens 1960

Chamblee Plaza at Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Peachtree Boulevard first opened November 16, 1960. According to a special Chamblee Plaza section in the Atlanta Constitution that same day, a celebration was scheduled beginning with music from the Chamblee High School band. Mayor Woodie Malone was present for the grand opening.

The new shopping plaza included a Woolworth’s, Colonial Groceries, W. T. Grant, Jacob’s Drug Store, Kroger, Bellman Jewelers, Elliot’s Barber Shop, Corn Cabin, Economy Auto, and Excelsior Laundry.

This 1960 advertisement from the North DeKalb Record was provided by Leah Carden Jennings.

In early 2022, several alumni of Chamblee High School shared their memories of Chamblee Plaza. Bob Berbenich recalls standing in line outside Jacob’s Drugstore one Saturday morning in the mid-1960s to get a smallpox vaccine. Jacob’s Drugstore had been in Atlanta for 81 years in 1960.

Brian Smith was allowed to walk to Woolworth’s at the age of seven, where he enjoyed delicious French fries. David McCarthy remembers the banana splits and that sometimes the store had balloons to pop for a special price of 25 cents on a banana split. In 1963, the Atlanta Crackers held an autograph session at Woolworth’s, recalls John Drake.

Some Chamblee alumni had their first jobs at Chamblee Plaza, including Sue Ragan Griffith who worked at Jacob’s Drugstore, Janfra Ross Alexander who worked at Plaza Sportswear and Kate Quinn whose first job was at Hancock Fabrics. Others worked at Chamblee Plaza grocery stores.

There are memories of favorite music, such as James Fisher Lavender who shares, “I remember how excited I was to run down there after classes to buy the first Beatles album!” Some recall Turtle’s Records at Chamblee Plaza in later years.

Clark Brown remembers Leland Ball Music, where he got his first electric guitar. Carol Coy’s dad was one of the owners and the General Manager of Firestone/Texaco which opened at Chamblee Plaza in 1967.

As the 1970s arrived, businesses in the plaza changed. Tom Plamann remembers Winn Dixie, Big Star, Revco Drugs, and Hallmark Gifts. Chamblee Library was in Chamblee Plaza for a while. Masonic Lodge has been located at the north end of the plaza since around 1983, however the Chamblee Masons date back to 1903. At the other end is Bank of America, which began as C & S Bank.

There was also a Department of Motor Vehicle office where some of the students got their first driver’s license. Some students drove without a parent to take their driver’s license test-a situation that seems to have been accepted at the time. Kent Bright says, “I don’t recall being asked about a parent.”

Chamblee Plaza has gone through many evolutions since 1960 and some difficult days of empty space, but it is going strong today. Stores at the shopping center include Publix, T J Maxx, HomeGoods, Crunch Fitness, Ace Hardware, and restaurants including Chick Fil A and Dunkin Donuts.

December 8, 1941 fire destroys Chamblee High School

People who grew up in the northern section of DeKalb County and are old enough to remember Pearl Harbor Day remember that Chamblee High School burned down the following day.  News of the fire spread quickly among families in Chamblee, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, and Doraville. 

Students from throughout north DeKalb County attended Chamblee High School, as it was the only high school in the area. 

J. W. (Dub) Brown, who would later become Mayor of Chamblee, was a student at the school that year.  Other students include George Pierce, Jr. Vivian Pierce, Manget Davis, Marion Chesnut, Charles Minors, and Malcolm Drake.  Graduation for the class of 1942 was at Oglethorpe University.  (Past Memories, Present Progress, Future Dreams, A History of the Community and the City of Chamblee, 1983, by Vivian Price Saffold)

According to an Atlanta Constitution article, Chamblee School Building Destroyed in $75,000 Fire, December 9, 1941, the fire took place on December 8th and started in the school laboratory.   The two-story brick school was located on what was then known as Dunwoody Road. 

M. E. Smith was principal of Chamblee High School during that time.  On the day of the fire, he was overcome by smoke when he returned to the building to try and retrieve textbooks and other valuables.  He was honored by the students and graduates in 1955 to recognize thirty years as a teacher and principal at Chamblee High School.

Firemen from nearby Lawson General Hospital, a military hospital adjacent to Naval Air Station Atlanta and on land that is now DeKalb Peachtree Airport, came to help put out the fire.  There were also firemen from U. S. Veterans Hospital #48, located further south on Peachtree Road, and the Druid Hills fire station.

The band director, Dr. D. C. Edwards, managed to get a grand piano and thousands of dollars of band instruments removed before fire destroyed them.  The band had performances scheduled around Christmas 1941 in McDonough, Norcross, and for the patients of nearby Lawson General Hospital.

The shop building and home economics building were spared in the fire because they were separate from the main building.  The main building had twenty-one classrooms.  After the school burned down, classes were held in other places around the community, such as Chamblee Baptist Church.

There were five hundred students enrolled at Chamblee when the fire of 1941 occurred.  Over one thousand people are reported to have come out to see the fire.  Some remember riding in the car to see the sight of their school burning.   Fortunately, the fire started about 6:00 p.m. and no one was in the building at the time.

1950s style scammer Margaret Gray lived off Happy Hollow Road

The Cassidy Lamb House on W. Fontainebleau Court was home to Clara Cassidy, Baxter and Midge Maddox, Harold and Charlotte Ebersole before it became the home of Janet Gray, aka Mrs. Gray. Gray both charmed and deceived the people she came into contact with.

Margaret Burton aka Janet Gray. Photo courtesy of DeKalb History Center

Thanks to the DeKalb History Center, I learned the surprising story of Margaret Burton aka Janet Gray, often referred to as Mrs. Gray. Marissa Howard, Programs and Membership Coordinator at DeKalb History Center, made the connection that the house Gray lived in on Happy Hollow Road and the Happy Hollow summer home I have written about were the same. The story of Gray and her crimes in Decatur, Georgia are included in a 2019 blog post at dekalbhistory.org titled, “True Crime-Margaret Burton aka Mrs. Gray,”

Gray had at least 21 aliases during her years as a criminal across the United States and in Europe. When she arrived in Decatur, she applied for a job as office manager for a group of doctors. Her appearance, manner and stories led people to believe she was a wealthy socialite. She was 51 years old, described with long silver hair and youthful skin. She claimed her father was president of Panama, that she owned mining interests in Colorado, and that her husband was a Colonel who had died. Her husband was a hotel night manager in Athens, Georgia.

Gray impressed the doctors and was given the job at a salary of $400 per month. A University of Georgia student working in the office reported that Gray usually came in to work in the morning, left about 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and returned much later in the afternoon. She may have been out shopping because information surfaced later about charge account balances owed at several retail stores. Gray owed $1,600 at the Leon Frohsin store in Atlanta, where she had bought over 50 hats. She owed $300 and $400 at two other stores and $30 to a photographer.

She bought a $6,000 pink Lincoln and four other cars. The Lincoln later was used for the getaway of Gray and her daughter Shelia Joy. Shelia Joy was known by neighbors on Happy Hollow Road as Candy Laine or Candace Victoria Lane, Gray’s niece.

Gray kept 40 show dogs at the Happy Hollow property. One dog was a cocker spaniel that won awards at the Westminster Dog Show in 1956. Another went by the name Capital Gains. Gray entered her dogs in the Columbus, Georgia Kennel Club’s annual dog show for two years. Those who met her in Columbus were shocked when they learned she was a thief. (The Sunday Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus, GA, August 18, 1957, “Mrs. Gray Owed Everybody”)

In the 1950s, many people paid cash for their doctor visits. Gray was pocketing all the cash paid by patients at the Decatur office. This went unnoticed for a long time, until an accountant was called in for an audit and discovered her thievery. When Gray heard an audit was planned on July 19, 1957, she fled Decatur and Georgia. She arranged for the dogs to travel by moving van and sadly they did not all survive the trip.

She made the mistake of securing a bookkeeper job in a doctor’s office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, thinking she could get away with it again. An office employee saw the Decatur story in the Tulsa newspapers and informed the doctors. Mother and daughter were captured by the FBI in Tulsa, Oklahoma and charged with transporting stolen property across state lines. (Atlanta Constitution, August 22, 1957, “Mrs. Gray seized in Tulsa at job in doctor’s office”)

Janet Gray’s first trial ended in a mistrial. In February of 1958 Janet Gray appeared for her second trial at DeKalb Superior Court for embezzling $186,757 from the clinic where she worked. “Mrs. Burton admitted she bought three houses, expensive automobiles, show dogs, furniture and a swimming pool, she said she used the rest of the money for lavish living for herself and her daughter.” (Macon News, Feb. 5, 1958, “Mrs. Burton’s Statement Admits Theft of $50,000)

Gray was indicted on February 8, 1958, with two counts of larceny. When she heard that she could serve two to five years at Reidsville State Prison, she fainted.

Sheila Joy Gray left Atlanta in September of 1957 and went to live with an uncle. Janet Gray served eighteen months before being extradited to California to face additional charges. She spent 240 days in jail in California. Then she was deported for “failure to keep the Government informed of her address and conviction of two crimes involving moral turpitude and criminal misconduct.” She eventually returned to California to live the remainder of her life.

Homeowners fight widening of Ashford Dunwoody Road

If you travel in the Perimeter area today, where I-285 meets Ashford Dunwoody Road, then you are probably accustomed to the traffic and the businesses, hotels, restaurants and apartments up and down Ashford Dunwoody. In 1980 there were still many single family homes on the road and only two lanes.

Ashford Dunwoody Road was widened in 1981. The announcement that the road would be widened came in 1980, nine years after the opening of Perimeter Mall. The community of Dunwoody opposed the widening, predicting commercial development would push its way into the residential areas.

The Dunwoody Homeowner’s Association started a petition and worked to stop the widening of Ashford Dunwoody Road and of Mount Vernon Road. Protestors gathered along the side of the road with signs. Attorney Bill Hurst filed a class action suit on behalf of the DHA. The suit asked for a court ordered injunction to halt the four-lane construction.

The DHA was successful in stopping the widening of Mount Vernon Road, except for the section from Ashford Dunwoody Road to the Fulton/DeKalb County line. They were also able to keep the speed limit from moving 35 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour. (“The Queen of Dunwoody: Remembering Community Visionary Joyce Amacher,” by Lynne Barfield Byrd)

Although the plan to widen Ashford Dunwoody Road was not stopped, DHA President Terry Huetter felt the efforts of the community to stop the widening did have a positive effect, saying “It probably wouldn’t have ended up being a parkway otherwise.” (Atlanta Constitution, April 23, 1981, “Homeowners cringe as Ashford-Dunwoody expands”)

Once the battle to stop the four-lane expansion of Ashford Dunwoody Road was lost, the Dunwoody Garden Club campaign to beautify the median began. The club decided to make the best of the situation, led by club president Joyce Amacher. (Dunwoody Crier, March 25, 1982, “Ashford Dunwoody median landscaping begun last week”)

After several conversations with Tom Moreland, Director of the Georgia State Highway Department, Joyce Amacher and Lynne Byrd were able to convince him to use funds intended for a concrete median towards landscaping.

Dunwoody Garden club members went to developers and tenants in the Perimeter area, local civic organizations, local businesses, and elected officials to raise the necessary funds. All property owners on Ashford Dunwoody Road between I-285 and Mt. Vernon Road were asked to participate.

County Commissioner Jean Williams assisted Amacher in obtaining $10,000 from the developers of the Ravinia-Hines Development. A donation of $10,000 was also secured from Lane Properties. State representative Bruce Widener was able to secure $16,000 from the state. Taylor and Mathis paid for the landscape plan, which was completed by Hickory Hill Landscaping.

The original landscaping plan called for a variety of maple and oak trees, along with Bradford pears, many types of shrubbery and 18,000 pieces of ground cover. The median is maintained today by the Perimeter Community Improvement District.

A DOT official predicted in 1981 that traffic along Ashford Dunwoody Road would increase 60 to 70% over the next twenty years.

Civil Defense, Air Raid shelters and blackouts in Atlanta area during WWII

In 2021, Dr. Howard Cotton shared with me what it was like in Boston as a 12 year old after Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. As a child, he was concerned that his town could be invaded or bombed as had happened to cities in other parts of the world. He remembers, “All automobile headlights were required to have black paint covering the top 1/3-1/2 to lessen visible light from possible bombers at night.” Cotton’s dad served as an air raid warden as part of the Civil Defense Corp, patrolling the neighborhood to ensure no lights were visible during air raid drills.

That made me wonder about Atlanta. Were precautions in place for Atlanta?

Before the U.S. entered WWII, Atlanta and other cities were receiving instructions on what actions should be taken. Atlanta was considered a railway and air transportation gateway in 1941. A May 2, 1941 article in the Atlanta Constitution originating from Washington, D. C., gave information about what steps Atlanta needed to take. Frank Bane, Director of the Division of State and Local Co-operation, Office of Emergency Management did not want to cause hysteria in the city. He advised Atlanta there was no immediate need for air-raid shelters, but they should give thought to what steps they would take if they were necessary in the future.

A pamphlet was provided, “Civil Defense Protective Construction.” However, Frank Bane cautioned that, “The issuance of this bulletin is not the signal for starting work on any of the protective structures described.” Once again, he advised plans should be prepared, “even though we hope they will never have to be put into effect.”

The information in the pamphlet was mostly technical information based on the experiences of European cities since the beginning of WWII. Many entrances and at least two exits were recommended for air-raid shelters. They would need to provide necessary conveniences and first aid facilities. It was also suggested they be built in a way that could be utilized during peace time. Perhaps they could serve as a garage, storage shed or bank vault.

Just three days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor an air-raid shelter was announced in Decatur at 401 Oakland Street, the home of Mrs. W. Guy Hudson, Executive Secretary of DeKalb Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce. The 1500 square foot concrete underground structure already existed before Pearl Harbor, having served as a city sewerage disposal tank 20 years earlier. A flower garden was planted at ground level.

In November of 1942, an air raid shelter was opened at the Municipal Market on Edgewood Road in Atlanta.

By February 1942, 20,000 people had already completed a 25-hour course and received certificates as Atlanta air raid wardens. The first certificates were issued at Grant Park School.

Registration of DeKalb County citizens for civilian defense positions began December 15, 1941. The DeKalb County Civilian Defense Corps, under the leadership of Vernon Frank, met in the 401 Oakland Street shelter for coffee and donuts. The shelter was complete with electric lights and running water. (Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 10, 1941, “DeKalb Boasts First Air Raid Shelter in Dixie.”)

A blackout test was held on February 26, 1942. You can read more about blackouts in the Atlanta area in my recent Dunwoody Crier article here.

Also, look for this article of memories of Pearl Harbor Day, published in the Dunwoody Crier in 2021 to commemorate the 80th anniversary.

Lockridge Forest, Winters Chapel and other names

Jeremiah Winter came to an area north of Atlanta in the late 1860s and saw the need for a church. Winters Chapel Methodist Church began in a grove and then Winter decided they could cut logs from the property, “have them sawed and hull us up a church.” The church and road are named for him. (winterschapel.org)

This Winters Chapel church sign and glimpse of the church behind the sign is part of the Doraville archives at DeKalb History Center.

Ralph Glaze shared his memories of the beginnings of Lockridge Forest subdivision along Winters Chapel Road in a 2017 video recording with Dunwoody Preservation Trust. Glaze’s father Herman Glaze owned a store at the corner of Peeler Road and Winters Chapel Road. Herman Glaze bought land from W. Y. Womack, Pink Womack, and Ida Morgan, accumulating about 100 acres at one point. The land purchased from Ida Morgan was where the store was built and is today the location of Auto Zone. Glaze Road is located off Peeler Road

Later Ralph Glaze moved to Lockridge Forest, a neighborhood that is partially in DeKalb County and part is in Gwinnett County. Glaze recalls that a man named Lockridge bought the land to develop from brothers Pink Womack and W. Y. (Young) Womack. Some of the street names can be directly attributed to the Womack family. There is a Womack Road and Womack Court.

There is also a Womack Drive off Winter’s Chapel Road, further toward where Winter’s Chapel Road meets Highway 141.

One of Pink Womack’s children was Geraldine, and Geraldine Court is named for her. She married Buck Kinnard and Kinnard Drive was named for him.

Glaze recalls two sawmills along Winters Chapel Road, one just south of the entrance to Winters Chapel United Methodist Church and cemetery and the other further north, at the entrance of Lockridge Forest today. The sawmills were still there in the 1940s and 1950s. One sawmill was owned by Mr. Tanner from Stone Mountain, who leased the land from Pink Womack.

Glaze believes the Womacks along Winters Chapel Road were third or fourth cousins to the Womacks who owned land at Tilly Mill Road and Womack Road, where Georgia State University Dunwoody campus to today.

There are other names in Lockridge Forest that remain a mystery, Arrie Way, Abby Court, Tilton Lane, and Sumac Court.