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”)

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.

Corinth Baptist Church begun by Chamblee women

New post every Monday!

My last blog post shared some history of Prospect Methodist Church and Prosperity Presbyterian Church.  The third church that was located along a short stretch of Peachtree Road in Chamblee was Corinth Baptist Church.

In the early 1870s, a group of Baptist women living in the Cross Keys area of DeKalb County began gathering in each other’s homes for prayer and worship.  Among the women was Julia Carroll, a widow who moved from Atlanta to Doraville and married William Spencer Carroll.   Later, the women met at the blacksmith shop of W. S. Johnson along what is now Chamblee Tucker Road. (A Century in North DeKalb, 1975, compiled by Earl Craig, Jr.)

Justinian Evins (1843-1930) helped organize the church, serving as clerk for forty years.  He was the grandson of Cross Keys pioneers John and Nancy Evins (sometimes spelled Evans). Justinian Evins recorded the early history of Corinth Baptist Church. 

The first church building was constructed in 1881 of rough-hewn, split logs.  It sat in a clearing among pine, oak, and dogwood trees.   Hutchenson’s Spring was nearby, as was a Native American trail known as Shallow Ford or Hightower Trail.  Baptisms took place at Nancy Creek and Folsom’s Pond.

Another small Baptist church known as Olive Leaf was organized nearby, although the exact location is not known.  Around 1875, the two churches combined and became Corinth Baptist Church.   

In 1891, Corinth moved to a location along what is now Hood Avenue and New Peachtree Road. The church was built with two separate doors for men and women.  Meeting minutes from this time show that there about twice as many women members as men.  A cemetery was established adjacent to the church. 

During World War I, the church was within the borders of military encampment Camp Gordon.  Church members needed a military pass to attend services.  Just after the war, the separate doors for men and women were changed to windows and the church name changed to Chamblee Baptist Church.  (A History of the Community and the City of Chamblee, 1983, Vivian Price)

This marker at what is now known as Johns Creek Baptist Church Cemetery tell the history.

Chamblee Baptist Church was always there for the community.  When Chamblee High School burned in 1941, classes were held at the church.  During World War II, soldiers being treated at nearby Lawson General Hospital received ministry from the church, as did their families.  

Another name change took place in 1950 and the church became First Baptist Church of Chamblee. A decline in membership over the years led to another move for the church.  In 1993, thanks to a donation of land, the church moved to Alpharetta and became Johns Creek Baptist Church. 

The cemetery still stands in Chamblee at the corner of Hood Avenue and New Peachtree Road. Markers and plaques at the cemetery remind us of the history and major events of this early Chamblee church.

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”)

Jewish soldiers at Chamblee's World War I Camp Gordon

A building constructed for Jewish soldiers at World War I Camp Gordon in Chamblee was completed October 1, 1918. It was known as the Little White House and was sponsored by the Jewish Welfare Board. The building was painted white unlike most of the buildings at Camp Gordon. (Hearst’s Sunday American, Oct. 27, 1918, “Air of Home Permeates Little White House at Gordon”)

The YMCA and Knights of Columbus had already constructed buildings at Camp Gordon. The Spanish flu epidemic hit Camp Gordon in 1918, causing delays for the completion of the Little White House.

According to the 1918 Hearst Newspaper, although the Little White House was “…essentially the gathering place for Jewish boys in the service, every soldier in the camp knows that he will receive a hearty welcome there.”

Once completed, the building had reading and writing rooms plus a large hall with seating for around 200 people. Jewish Welfare workers at the camp used the building as their headquarters. English classes were offered in the building for non-English speaking soldiers.

Fourteen women volunteered to serve on a committee which would meet at the Little White House each afternoon at 4 pm until 8 pm. The women would sew and mend uniforms, help soldiers write letters and spend time talking with them.  

The Jewish Welfare Board found hundreds of Jewish families in Atlanta who were happy to open their homes to soldiers. The soldiers were invited to dinner at these homes.

Women from the Jewish Welfare Board visited several times a week at the Camp Gordon and Fort McPherson hospitals with flowers to make the area more cheerful. They would bring cigarettes, candy, and fruit with the permission of the commanding officer.

Even before the Little White House was built, the Jewish Welfare Board was working to improve the social and religious life of Jewish soldiers. In the Atlanta Constitution’s special section, “Camp Gordon and the other camps,” their activities are described. Soldiers were entertained during Passover holidays and 75 pounds of candy was distributed.

Image from “Atlanta’s Camp Gordon,” by James Kevin Knettel.

When the war ended, the Jewish Welfare Board, YMCA and Knights of Columbus all had floats in a parade in Atlanta. There were also students from the army training corps of Boys High School, Tech High School, Marist College, and Georgia Military Academy participating in the victory parade.  The Women’s Motor Corps marched, leading the way for the floats.

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.

Lawson General Hospital News, June 1943

“Lawson News”, a newsletter of Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee, Georgia, was published twice monthly according to the June 1943 issue.

The newsletter includes summaries of various activities and events at the hospital. Within the Medical Department Training Service, promotions are taking place. There are also detachments. Ribbons are awarded within the MDTS, such as good conduct ribbons awarded to First Sergeants, C. K. Cheek, R. L. Smith, W.L. Sligh and C. L. Bradley. The red and white ribbons were pinned on the men’s chest by Col. J. B. Stapleton, Assistant Commandant.

Two men from MDTS were naturalized as American citizens before the Atlanta Federal Court presiding judge. The judge “reaffirmed the importance of citizenship.” He also expressed “the gratitude of this country to the many foreign subjects who so willingly enlisted in the ranks to fight for democracy.”

The Occupational Therapy students had a brand new building with a well lighted workshop and offices. Patients had access to the Victory Garden for their use.

A new course in Orthopedic Medicine had recently begun. Three men from Camp Pickett, Virginia were sent to Lawson and once their training was complete they would be assigned as Orthopedic Mechanics wherever they were needed. The men were Corporals Jerome Chaback, Robert G. Grevitsan and George W. Hermann.

The MDTS Fife and Drum Corps was the marching band of Lawson General Hospital. The band included 21 bugles, 8 fifes, 10 drums, 2 pairs of cymbals and one bugle bell. There were accomplished trumpet players among them. “Mix them up and you have a combination that would make Harry James stop and listen.”

Medical personnel and trainees at Lawson General Hospital formed their own MDTS Fife and Drum Corps marching band.

The newsletter reports that the Earl “Father” Hines show came to Lawson to perform their jive and boogie show in the Red Cross Auditorium.

Pfc. Chester Padovese and Col. Joe Katynsky met in the boxing ring for a match that was called a draw.

Several movies are announced in the newsletter, including “Ox Bow Incident” starring Henry Fonda and Mary B. Hughes; “Iceland” starring Sonje Henie, John Payne and Jack Oakie; “Mission to Moscow” starring Walter Huston and Ann Harding; “China” starring Loretta Young and Alan Ladd; “Somewhere I’ll Find You” starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner; plus “Bataan”, starring Robert Taylor.

Baseball and softball events are also included in the Lawson News, along with encouragement to “Support your team, free transportation to all games.”

Embry Hills neighborhood and shopping early days

The September 11, 1969 Homes section of the Atlanta Journal newspaper featured an article about the second phase of the Embry Hills subdivision. The neighborhood is described as one mile east of the Expressway (I-85) and just south of the new perimeter highway at Chamblee-Tucker Road. The I-285 Perimeter was not completed until 1969.  

The neighborhood got its name from the owner-developer, Jack Embry of Embry Realty Company. He was both realtor and home builder. Embry later served as President of the DeKalb Real Estate Board and President of the DeKalb Developer’s Association. He was also Chairman of the Board of the Embry National Bank. (Atlanta Constitution, March 31, 2003)

70 homes in the first phase were already sold and occupied by 1960. The first phase included a range of architectural design including contemporary and traditional. The second phase offered 56 lots. Embry announced there would be a total of 233 homes when the subdivision was complete.

Prices in phase two ranged from $25,000 to $37,500 and lots averaged 100 by 200 feet.

One model home is described as a ranch-style brick home with three bedrooms. Another home is a four-bedroom tri-level brick home.

The neighborhood adjoined the site of Atlanta Baptist College, today’s Mercer University of Atlanta. Since the land that became Mercer was originally owned by the Warren family, it seems like Embry Hills probably was as well.

The 14-acre site right next door to the neighborhood was purchased by the DeKalb County Board of Education from the Warren family for a new elementary school. That became Warren Elementary School..

The Embry Hills Club is mentioned in the 1960 article, where a swimming pool was built on 10 acres for resident member of Embry Hills. The first Girl Scout Brownie troop I was in used to meet at the Embry Hills Club in the mid-1960s.

The developer, Embry, also zoned 22 acres at the highway along Chamblee Tucker Road for a shopping center. The Embry Hills shopping center has evolved many times through the years.

I can’t remember much about the early years of Embry Hills, but there was a dance studio and a fitness center. A little research online told me that the fitness center was My Fair Lady “Beauty retreat and figure salon” in 1971 with two other locations at Cheshire Bridge and Sandy Springs.

Everything about this ad for My Fair Lady screams 1970s. It appeared in a 1971 Atlanta Journal.

Alan Wilson remembers working at the Embry Hills Winn Dixie in 1972 when the Doraville refinery fire occurred. He could see flames and smoke from that vantage point.

Other memories for me include Huddle House and S & S Cafeteria and a dance studio. I believe it was called Barbara Bramble Dance Studio, but that is one of those memories that is a bit vague even though I took classes there!

Lawson General Hospital Dental training, Co. G, MDTS

Glenn H. Curtis

I’m pleased to share the history of Glenn H. Curtis, who spent time training in the MDTS (Medical Department Technicians School) at Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee, Georgia during World War II. Curtis received dental training at Lawson between December 1942 to February 1943.

MDTS began at Lawson General in 1942 and continued into 1945. MDTS started out with 50 people being trained as laboratory technicians, 50 in dental training, 125 in medical training, 125 in surgical training, 50 in x-ray training. The full name of the training program was Medical Department Enlisted Technicians School. In 1943, the numbers had increased in each area, including 106 dental trainees. The website of AMEDD includes history of the Army Medical Department and includes data of the various Medical Department Technician Schools across the US during WWII.

In addition to treating patients at Lawson General Hospital, men (and women with the Red Cross) were being trained to provide medical and dental care to injured soldiers. Lawson reported their students trained through “lectures, demonstration, and by actually performing over and over again the various procedures. Performance of the procedures, under close supervision, is the most important part of their training.”

Glenn Curtis’ son Gary Curtis shared memories and history he has gathered about his father’s WWII service. Glenn was born Jan. 28,1920. His WWII registration card shows he was 21 years old, working as a driver for Hanna Market in Rochester, New York.

As far as his time at Lawson General Hospital in Georgia, he didn’t share much about his service. He did talk a little about Georgia Tech and could sing the school fight song. He said he enjoyed his time in school in Georgia and at Jefferson Barracks, MO, where he was sent next.

The dental training he received would eventually be used to identify victims in aircraft training crashes in the U.S. I can only imagine that this would be difficult and stressful work, with a lot of sadness and emotions.

Dental section, Day class, MDTS Lawson General Hospital February 1943

Loren Brown, a childhood friend of Glenn Curtis from Rochester, New York was also in the MDTS program at Lawson. Brown’s fiance Lois Howell and Curtis’ girlfriend and later wife, Mildred, and Curtis’ sister Joyce Curtis visited the two men in Chamblee. They stayed in a cottage at the nearby W. O. Pierce Dairy. Visitors to patients and staff of Lawson General Hospital and trainees of MDTS usually stayed in nearby homes. There were no hotels in Chamblee at the time.

Lois Howell facing camera and Mildred Curtis facing the cottage at Pierce Dairy Farm, where they stayed on a visit to Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee during WWII.

Loren Brown stands in front of the W. O Pierce Dairy Farm in Chamblee. Brown and his friend from Rochester Glenn Curtis were in the medical training program at Lawson General Hospital.

Glenn Curtis and Mildred became engaged during her visit and they went to a jeweler on Peachtree Street in Atlanta for a ring.

While at Jefferson Barracks, MO, Glenn Curtis was injured playing baseball. Baseball teams were popular at bases across the country. Curtis is documented as being at O’Reilly Hospital during the last part of 1943 and his son believes this may have been a result of the injury.

Glenn Curtis and his brother Robert registered on the same day in Rochester, New York in January 1942. Robert Curtis served with the Army in France. Glenn would like to have served overseas, but either due to his injury or the timing of his training, he remained in the U.S. Every person who served either in the states or overseas was crucial to the cause.

After the war, Curtis opened an Amoco gasoline station near his home in Rochester. He later worked for the post office, retiring after 17 years. He also operated an antique store with his wife.

Below is the timeline of Glenn Curtis’ service:

Army Air Forces Technical Training Command St. Petersburg, Florida, Nov. through Dec. 1942

Lawson General Hospital, Chamblee, GA, Co. G, MDTS, dental, Dec. 42 to Feb. 1943

Army Air Forces Station Hospital Chicago, IL, March to June 1943

25th Training Group Squad C, Jefferson Barracks, MO, July to Oct. 1943

O’Reilly Hospital, Springfield, MO, end of 1943

Return to 25th Training Group, Jefferson Barracks

18th Replacement Wing, Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 1944

Walker Army Air Force base in Victoria Kansas, where his wife may have joined him until he moved on.

Worked at Pressed Steel Car Company, McKees Rocks, PA, a rail car manufacturing company that produced tanks during WW2.

3706 Army Air Forces Squad H. Sheppard Field TX, July 1945 to Sept. 1945

1060 Army Air Forces Squad E Sept thru Jan or Feb 1946

Thank you to Gary Curtis, who reached out and shared this history and amazing photos of his Dad and his time at Lawson General Hospital.

Antioch School, first Chamblee school 1905

A one-room school was built in Chamblee in 1905. Prior to that, some families sent their children to school in Roswell. Ida Wallace of Chamblee rode the Roswell Railroad from Chamblee to Roswell each week to attend school. She stayed in Roswell until the end of each week, then returned to her family in Chamblee. (“A History of the Community and the City of Chamblee,”1983 by Vivian Price)

The location of Antioch School is now 5295 New Peachtree Road. The school site was next to the First Baptist Church of Chamblee Cemetery and for many years was the location of Interactive College of Technology. Today 5295 New Peachtree Road is home to the International Pentecostal Church of God.

When the Camp Gordon World War I encampment was built in Chamblee, it took over a large portion of the town, including Antioch School. A new school was planned for Chamblee and the two-story brick school was completed and opened in 1919.

The new Chamblee School housed both the grammar school and high school. The Atlanta Constitution proclaimed the school to be one of the finest schools in the state, calling it “beautiful and modern in every respect and contains every feature of the up-to-date school house.” The final cost of the new school was $30,000.

The old Antioch School was moved to the new property and was used for the Home Economics program.

This may not seem like a great deal of historical information about Antioch School. I agree! I’ll continue to be on the lookout for more history and this blog post will be updated when and if I locate more history.

During the time that World War I Camp Gordon took over Chamblee, the school was part of the camp’s property. After the war, it was moved to the new site for the school, which is the same location as Chamblee High School today. The old Antioch School building was used as the Home Economics building. This 1940 photo also shows the cannery on the right and students forming the letters CHS in front of the school. (Photo from “A History of the Community and the City of Chamblee,”1983 by Vivian Price)

This 1938 yearbook page shows students standing in front of the Home Economics building, the former Antioch School.