Hardy Ivy facts for kids
Hardy Ivy (born in 1779, died in 1842) is known as the first person of European background to live permanently in the area that is now the big city of Atlanta, Georgia.
Hardy Ivy's Settlement in Atlanta
By 1821, the Native Americans who owned the land east of the Chattahoochee River gave it up to the state of Georgia. This event was called the "Creek Indian Cession of 1821." The land west of the Chattahoochee River remained Cherokee territory.
Soon after, the land was divided into square lots, each about 202½ acres. In 1833, Hardy Ivy, who was from the Abbeville area of South Carolina, bought one of these lots. He paid $225 for Land Lot 51 in the 14th district of what was then DeKalb County. He bought it from a person named James Paden.
Ivy built a double log cabin on his new land. It was located near where the Marriott Marquis hotel stands today, at the corner of Courtland and Ellis Street. He likely built it soon after buying the land. At that time, DeKalb County included all of what is now Fulton County, where most of Atlanta is located. Ivy's land lot was on the edge of what would become downtown Atlanta.
Hardy Ivy could not have known that his new land would become the center of a major city. The main reason for Atlanta's growth was its location as the end point of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. This railroad was approved by the Georgia State Legislature on December 21, 1836.
Surveying for the railroad began in 1837. By 1838, the famous 'zero mile post' was placed. This post marked the end of the railroad line. It was located in Land Lot 78, just west of Hardy Ivy's property.
Hardy Ivy's Death and Legacy
Hardy Ivy died during the winter of 1841–1842. He was thrown from his horse. His belongings were valued at $714.67 at the time of his death.
A street near his cabin was named Ivy Street in his honor. It kept this name until the late 20th century. Then, Ivy Street was renamed Peachtree Center Avenue. This new name honored the modern building complex designed by John Portman. There is also a park in Downtown Atlanta called Hardy Ivy Park (33°45′46″N 84°23′15″W / 33.76278°N 84.38750°W). This park also remembers Hardy Ivy.
Other Early Settlers in the Area
While Hardy Ivy and his wife, Sarah Todd Ivy (1782–1886), were the first settlers in the area that became downtown Atlanta, there were other early settlers nearby. Sarah Todd Ivy's brother, Richard Copeland Todd, and his wife, Martha Todd, were among them. The Todd family settled close by in 1823, which was ten years before Hardy Ivy bought his land.
However, the Todd's land lot (Lot 17 of the 14th district, also 202½ acres) was just outside the original Atlanta city limits. Atlanta officially became a city on December 29, 1847. The Todd's land lot is now part of the Virginia-Highland neighborhood and is well within Atlanta's current city limits. One of Atlanta's oldest known roads, 'Todd Road,' is shown on many Civil War maps. This road directly connected the Ivy family's home and the Todd family's home. A small part of 'Todd Road' still exists today in Virginia-Highland.
