John Thrasher facts for kids

John Thrasher (born February 24, 1818 – died November 13, 1899) was an important pioneer in Georgia. He founded the city of Norcross, Georgia. He also played a big part in the early days of Atlanta, helping to build and develop the city. Thrasher was an entrepreneur who traveled a lot across the American Southeast.

How Atlanta Started

In 1839, John Thrasher began working on the end point of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. This spot is now downtown Atlanta. Thrasher built homes for his workers and a general store there. People started calling the area "Thrasherville" instead of its official name, "Terminus." This was the very first land development in what would become Atlanta. Today, a historical marker stands on Marietta Street to remember this important beginning.

Thrasher also bought a lot of land in an area called Whitehall. This is now the West End neighborhood of Atlanta. He thought this land would be the "zero-mile marker" for the railroad. This meant he expected a lot of business for his store and land. But in 1842, a railroad employee named Lemuel P. Grant gave land northeast of Whitehall to the railroad. The main railroad stop was moved there instead. Thrasher was very upset. He sold his land for much less than he paid and moved to Griffin, Georgia.

In 1844, Thrasher got married and moved back to Atlanta. He opened another store on Peachtree Street. He became active in local government and was elected to the state legislature for Fulton County. After the American Civil War, Atlanta was badly damaged. Thrasher became even more involved in rebuilding the city. He helped open Atlanta's first jail, its first school, and its streetcar system.

Founding the City of Norcross

In 1870, Thrasher moved northeast of Atlanta along the Richmond and Danville Railroad. There, he founded the town of Norcross. He named it after his good friend, Jonathan Norcross, who was the fourth mayor of Atlanta. John Thrasher was also elected as Norcross's first mayor. He quickly made Norcross a popular vacation spot. He built a resort hotel there for visitors.

Thrasher was very generous in Norcross. He helped start the First Baptist Church. He also gave houses to church leaders and donated land for a park. This park is now called Thrasher Park in downtown Norcross. A train ran daily between Norcross and Atlanta. This was likely the first commuter train in Georgia.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1878, Thrasher felt like traveling again. He moved to Central, South Carolina. There, he built a restaurant along the train line that went from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.. In the late 1880s, Thrasher and his wife moved to Dade City, Florida, to be near their sons. He started growing oranges there. He never forgot about railroads, though. He was important in bringing train lines to Dade City as well. John Thrasher died in Dade City on November 13, 1899.

John Thrasher's family legacy continued through his first cousin, Caroline Thrasher. Her great-grandsons were Robert and George Woodruff. Robert Woodruff became a famous leader and generous person in Atlanta. He was the CEO of Coca-Cola from 1923 to 1939.

Images for kids

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  A sketch of John J. Thrasher from an 1879 Harper's magazine article.