Shermantown (Atlanta) facts for kids
Imagine a small community that grew up a long time ago, right after the American Civil War. This place was called Shermantown. It was a neighborhood where many African-American families lived in the late 1800s. You could find it in the Stone Mountain Village area, which is part of Stone Mountain in Dekalb County, Georgia. Shermantown was located very close to the famous Stone Mountain Park.
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What Was Shermantown?
Shermantown was known as a "shantytown." This means it was a community where people built their homes quickly, often using simple materials. These homes were sometimes called "shanties." Many people who lived in Shermantown were African Americans. They were building new lives for themselves after the Civil War.
How Shermantown Got Its Name
The name Shermantown came from a very famous person in American history: General William Tecumseh Sherman. He was a general for the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, his troops were in the Atlanta area. The community was named in his honor. This shows how important the events of the Civil War were to the people living there.
Where Was Shermantown Located?
Shermantown was located in the Stone Mountain Village neighborhood. Stone Mountain is a well-known place in Georgia, famous for its large granite mountain. The community was literally "in the shadow" of this huge mountain. This means it was very close to where Stone Mountain Park is today.
Life in Shermantown
Life in Shermantown would have been different from how we live today. It was a time when many people were trying to rebuild their lives after a big war. Communities like Shermantown were important places where people could live and work together. They helped each other create new beginnings.
