Everything Atlanta is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Atlanta.
Atlanta, Texas. It sits right on the Louisiana line, a town steeped in East Texas charm and surprisingly rich in notable figures. You might not expect it, but quite a few folks who walked these streets went on to do some pretty remarkable things.
Bessie Coleman (Brave Bessie or Queen Bess), the world's first licensed black pilot, daughter of Susan Coleman, was born in Atlanta, Texas, on January 26, 1892, the twelfth of thirteen children. She grew up in Waxahachie. Her father left the family in 1900 to return to Indian Territory. Bessie, along with several siblings still living at home, helped ease the family's financial troubles by picking cotton or assisting with the washing and ironing that her mother took in. Upon graduation from high school she enrolled at the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (now Langston University) in Langston, Oklahoma. Financial difficulties, however, forced her quit after one semester. She moved to Chicago, where a brother was then living, and attended beauty school for a time. She spent the early years of World War I working as a manicurist at the White Sox Barbershop. She then operated a small but profitable chili parlor. Apparently in early 1917 Bessie Coleman married Claude Glenn, but she never publicly acknowledged the marriage, and the two soon separated. In 1920 Coleman, acting on a lifelong dream of learning to fly, traveled abroad to attend aviation school in Le Crotoy, France, after she discovered that no American school would accept African Americans . Robert S. Abbott, editor of the Chicago Weekly Defender , assisted her in contacting schools abroad. After studying for ten months in France she was issued a license on June 15, 1921, by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, giving her the distinction of being the first Black person in the world to become a licensed pilot. She returned to the United States in 1921. Her goal, in addition to making flying her career, was to open a flying school for Black students. In 1922 she made a second trip to Europe and during her studies took lessons from the chief pilot for the Fokker Aircraft Company in Germany. Coleman's first American air show was at Curtiss Field, near Manhattan, on September 3, 1922. She followed the success of this show with exhibition flights all over the country, many of them in her native South. After several years of touring the East and West coasts, she traveled back to Texas and established her headquarters in Houston in 1925. Her first performance in Texas took place in that city on June 19, 1925. Her daredevil stunts and hair-raising maneuvers earned her the nickname "Brave Bessie." She primarily flew Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" planes and army surplus aircraft left over from the war. During her trips she often gave lectures to schools and churches to encourage young Black men and women to enter aviation . On one occasion in Waxahachie she refused to give an exhibition on White school grounds unless Blacks were permitted to use the same entrance as Whites. The request was granted, although Blacks and Whites remained segregated once inside. Early in her career she was presented a loving cup for her achievements from the cast of Shuffle Along , a Black Broadway musical. By 1926, the year of her death, Coleman had become one of America's most popular stunt fliers. She had her first major accident in 1924 while barnstorming in California, and she took a year off to recover. On April 30, 1926, she died during a test flight before a show sponsored by the Negro Welfare League in Jacksonville, Florida. About twelve minutes into the flight, the plane did not pull out of a nosedive as planned; instead, it did a somersault and dropped Bessie Coleman to her death. Her mechanic and publicity agent, William Wills, fell with the plane and died on impact. Although the charred condition of the wreckage prevented a full investigation, the crash was believed to have been caused by a loose wrench that jammed the plane's controls. After funeral services in Jacksonville, which were attended by hundreds of admirers, Coleman's body was returned to Chicago, where she had made her home. She is buried there in Lincoln Cemetery. Although her dream of establishing a flying school for
Nathan Wright Stuckey II, musician, songwriter, radio disc jockey, and booking agent, was born in Cass County, Texas, on December 17, 1933. He was the son of William Perry Stuckey and Mattie Estelle (Graves) Stuckey. Known better as Nat Stuckey, he started his musical career as a country music disc jockey before becoming a singer-songwriter and eventually recording several Top 10 songs. Raised in Atlanta, Texas, Nat Stuckey learned to play guitar from his uncle. After graduating from Atlanta High School in 1952, Stuckey attended Arlington State College and graduated with an associates degree in radio and television. After college, Stuckey became a disc jockey at KALT in Atlanta, Texas. Stuckey worked for KALT for two years before entering the United States Army. He worked with Armed Forces Radio and TV in Korea and New York City. After his two years in the army, he returned to work at KALT. Stuckey played with an eight-piece jazz band from 1957 to 1958 then became the leader of a country band, the Corn Huskers, from 1958 to 1959. He continued to perform, as well as work at KALT. Stuckey's talents landed him a job at KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he became a regular performer on the Louisiana Hayride from 1962 to 1966. In 1964 Stuckey recorded his first single, "Leave the Door Open," for Sims Records. In 1965 he signed with Paula Records, a Shreveport-based label. His third single, "Sweet Thang," recorded on Paula Records, made the Billboard Top 5 in 1966. Sound Format named Stuckey the "Star of Tomorrow," and he received a BMI award for "Sweet Thang." In 1967 Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb recorded a hit version of "Sweet Thang." Stuckey also wrote "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line," which became a Number 1 song for Buck Owens and earned Stuckey another BMI award. In 1967 Stuckey's song "Pop a Top" was a Top 5 hit for Jim Ed Brown. That same year he formed his own backing band called the Sweet Thangs. Over the years, Stuckey penned several other hit songs. In 1968 he moved to Nashville and signed with RCA Records. That year he had another Top 10 hit with his song "Plastic Saddle." While in Nashville, Stuckey and his wife Ann established a booking agency, Music Row Talent, Inc. He also operated a successful real estate business through his Texas Promised Land Development Company. In 1969 he had three Top 20 hits and another Top 10 song with his composition "Sweet Thang and Cisco." Stuckey also recorded two duets with Connie Smith, "Young Love" and "If God is Dead (Who's that Living in my Soul?)." In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Stuckey toured extensively throughout Europe. "Take Time to Love Her" made the Top 10 in 1973. In 1976 Stuckey joined MCA Records but did not enjoy the same level of songwriting success that he had previously. His final entry in the Billboard charts was the 1978 song, "The Days of Sand and Shovels." During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, as Stuckey's songwriting career ebbed with the rise of the pop sound in mainstream country music, he became increasingly involved in recording commercial jingles for regional and national media, including many for Budweiser beer. In 1988 Nat Stuckey was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died two months later on August 24, 1988, in Nashville, Tennessee. His ashes were scattered at Center Hill Lake in Smithville, Tennessee. He was survived by his wife Ann. In 2002 he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame .
Victorian residence built 1878 by William Franklin Mathews (1840-1900) and wife Harriet India Sharp. Mathews, a Confederate veteran and farmer, moved to Queen City when it was founded (1877) and became a successful merchant. Briefly owned by various people after 1895, house was bought 1918 by Ross A. Powell (1883-1937) and wife Gussie Boyd (d. 1920). Like Mathews, Powell was a merchant. This structure is still owned and preserved by a Powell heir. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1973
Atlanta, at the junction of U.S. Highway 59, State highways 43 and 77, and Farm roads 96, 249, 251, 995, 1159, 1841, 2327, and 2791, ten miles west of the Texas-Arkansas line, is the largest town and most important economic center in Cass County. The town was established in 1871 with the building of the Texas and Pacific Railway and named for Atlanta, Georgia, former home of many early settlers. A post office opened in 1871, and by 1885 the community had 1,500 residents, three White and two black churches, two schools, a bank, several sawmills, a number of general stores, and a weekly newspaper, the Citizens' Journal . Lumbering was the chief industry. The lumber boom reached its peak around 1890, when the population was 1,764. The community was incorporated in 1929, when it had 1,900 residents and 105 businesses. The onset of the Great Depression forced many businesses to close, and in 1936 Atlanta had only eighty-five rated businesses. The opening of the Rodessa oilfield in 1935, however, helped mitigate the worst effects of the depression, and by 1940 the town had modern canneries, lumber mills, wholesale houses, a brick plant, a hospital, and a population of 2,453. Subsequently, Atlanta grew steadily, topping the 4,000 mark for the first time in the early 1960s. In 1990 the population was 6,118. By 2000 the population dropped to 5,745. Principal industries include farming, forestry, oil, and tourism.
First Protestant church in area. Founded in 1853 by George Law and wife Martha, pioneers from Georgia. Members first worshipped under a brush arbor, then in a log structure. In 1859 joined Methodist Conference, began present building 1869. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968
The Rev. J. Osgood organized the earliest members of the first United Methodist Church in 1873 under a brush arbor. On this site their first structure was built (1875) with an "amen corner" and a belfry on the neo-classic front. In the second church, erected in 1890, stained glass windows lit the sanctuary and a choir bay backed the pulpit. A brick edifice was erected in 1917 and dedicated in 1927 by Bishop Sam B. Hay of Houston. An education building was given as a memorial in 1938. The present church, seating 600, was built in 1953. Remodeling was carried out in 1956.
43 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Atlanta, Texas. It sits right on the Louisiana line, a town steeped in East Texas charm and surprisingly rich in notable figures. You might not expect it, but quite a few folks who walked these streets went on to do…
You're driving past the site of the former Atlanta-Miller Grade School. Built in 1936 with federal Works Progress Administration funds, this school originally served white students. For decades, Atlanta operated…
Bessie Coleman (Brave Bessie or Queen Bess), the world's first licensed black pilot, daughter of Susan Coleman, was born in Atlanta, Texas, on January 26, 1892, the twelfth of thirteen children. She grew up in…
Nathan Wright Stuckey II, musician, songwriter, radio disc jockey, and booking agent, was born in Cass County, Texas, on December 17, 1933. He was the son of William Perry Stuckey and Mattie Estelle (Graves) Stuckey.…
Atlanta, at the junction of U.S. Highway 59, State highways 43 and 77, and Farm roads 96, 249, 251, 995, 1159, 1841, 2327, and 2791, ten miles west of the Texas-Arkansas line, is the largest town and most important…
You're driving through Cass County, near Atlanta, where a little railroad once connected two bigger lines. Chartered in 1897, the Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana Railway was just eight miles long, linking the Texas and…
The Rev. J. Osgood organized the earliest members of the first United Methodist Church in 1873 under a brush arbor. On this site their first structure was built (1875) with an "amen corner" and a belfry on the…
Victorian residence built 1878 by William Franklin Mathews (1840-1900) and wife Harriet India Sharp. Mathews, a Confederate veteran and farmer, moved to Queen City when it was founded (1877) and became a successful…
You're driving through Queen City, Texas, a town born from the railroad in 1877. It quickly became a hub, boasting sawmills, a gristmill, and even an iron foundry hoping to tap into local ore. That foundry didn't last,…
First Protestant church in area. Founded in 1853 by George Law and wife Martha, pioneers from Georgia. Members first worshipped under a brush arbor, then in a log structure. In 1859 joined Methodist Conference, began…
You're driving through northeastern Cass County, not far from the Arkansas border. Right here is Bloomburg, a town that owes its existence to the railroad. Before 1895, this was just an area with scattered settlement.…
You're driving through Cass County, Texas, a place that's worn two different names. Formed in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1846</say-as>, it was originally named for General Lewis Cass, a U.S. statesman who…
You're driving past Old Liberty Cemetery, a resting place for folks dating back to 1850. It's also the site of the original Enon Primitive Baptist Church, organized way back in 1845. In 1861, church trustees got four…
You're driving through Northeast Texas, the stomping grounds of Cullen Montgomery Baker, a man whose life was as violent as the legends say. Born in Tennessee in 1835, Baker moved to Cass County, Texas, with his family.…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, you're crossing the path of Trammel's Trace. This wasn't just any road; it was the first major route into Texas from the north, starting in Arkansas and winding down to…
You're driving through Cass County, right on the Texas border with Arkansas and Louisiana. This place has a name that changed with the political winds! Originally named Cass County in 1846, honoring a US Senator, it was…
You're driving through Cass County, near Douglassville, on Farm Road 2345. Right here is the site of Floyd Hill, a community born from faith. In 1854, land was deeded for the Floyd's Hill Church, and a log church went…
You're driving past Douglassville Cemetery, a place named for town founder John C. Douglass, who bought land here in 1855. The land for the cemetery itself was donated in 1850 by ferryman Williamson Petty. The oldest…
You're driving past Douglassville, where this Baptist Church was organized back in 1869 with 14 charter members. They built their first church building in 1870, and that old frame chapel was later relocated in 1948.…
You're driving past the site of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Douglassville. Area Methodists established a church here in 1856, shortly after the town was founded. The current building was erected in 1908 and later…
You're rolling through Kildare, Texas, where you can still see one of the oldest buildings in town. This structure, erected in 1878, was a joint project between the First Baptist Church and Jim's Bayou Lodge. Built from…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Linden, Aaron Thibeaux Walker was born in 1910. You might know him better as T-Bone Walker, the man who basically invented electric blues guitar. Growing up in…
You're driving through Linden, the county seat of Cass County, and right here is where a town was born out of a boundary dispute. Back in 1852, when the map of Texas was redrawn, the old county seat, Jefferson, ended up…
You're driving through Bowie County, and right here in Linden, Robert Lee Henry got his start. Born in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1864</say-as>, he was a lawyer and politician who even served nine terms in…
You're driving through Cass County, Texas, where the town of Linden got its name from a Tennessee hometown. That's thanks to Jeremiah M. Wood, who moved here from Perry County, Tennessee, in 1849. Wood was a busy man in…
Linden, Texas, sits nestled in the rolling hills of East Texas, not far from Cypress Creek, which winds its way toward the Red River. The town was established in 1848 and given its name for the beautiful linden trees…
Hold onto your hats, folks, because you're about to see Texas history standing tall! The Cass County Courthouse in Linden isn't just old, it's the oldest continuously operating antebellum courthouse in the entire state.…
Linden-Kildare (Linden, TX) placed on the 2A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Maddox Hankins (0.537 avg).
You're driving past what remains of Pleasant Hill School, a testament to African American resilience and education in Cass County. Organized way back in 1843, the Pleasant Hill community got a boost in 1925 from the…
You're driving through Linden, and just off the road here, you're passing the site of a fascinating New Deal project. Back in 1937, Company 1814 of the Civilian Conservation Corps set up camp on a nearby hillside. These…
You're driving past Corinth Cemetery, established in 1876 when the Watson family donated land for the Corinth Baptist Church. The earliest marked grave here is little Terrissa Ellington, who died in 1878. This cemetery…
You're driving past Whittaker Memorial Cemetery, a final resting place with a powerful story of resilience. This African American cemetery began as a burial ground for enslaved people on Willis Whitaker's vast…
You're driving through Cass County, past the site of Floyds' Hill Church and its cemetery. Back in 1854, Killis Floyd donated land for a Missionary Baptist congregation. They held services in a pioneer family's home…
You're driving past the area where John Robin Heard established his family cemetery. Heard, a pioneer who arrived in Texas in 1853 and founded the town of Cussetta, donated the land for this burial ground. The first…
You're driving through Redwater, Texas, a town with a name that tells a story. It started out in the 1870s as Ingersoll, named for a famous agnostic. But the folks here had a change of heart. In 1886, a massive revival…
You're driving past Redwater, a town with a name that tells a story. It started as Mooresville in 1840, but then a sawmill popped up in 1875, attracting workers who, well, let's just say they weren't too keen on…
You're driving past the site of Epperson's Ferry, a crossing that's seen a lot of Texas history. Long before Mark Epperson set up his ferry here before 1837, this natural crossing was used by Caddo Indians. Later,…
You're driving through Maud, a community in Bowie County that owes its existence to the railroad. Before the St. Louis Southwestern Railway arrived in 1870, this area, known as the Red River Country, saw little…
You're driving past the site of the Maud United Methodist Church, which began as a mission in 1874. The town's founder, Samuel Knapp, donated the land for the church, and the original building was moved here in 1880.…
You're driving past Savannah Cemetery, which began as the family burial ground for Sofia Smith Whatley and her descendants. She moved to this area in the late 1800s to join her sons. The oldest marked grave here is an…
You're driving by Mount Zion Baptist Church of Christ, organized in 1851 with twelve members. This sanctuary was built in 1885, replacing the original log church. A historic cemetery next to it dates back to 1864.
You're driving past the site of the John Robin Heard Cemetery, a place he himself donated land for back in 1861. Heard was a Georgia native who arrived in Texas in 1853, quickly becoming a key figure. He founded the…
You're driving past Old Harrison Chapel Cemetery, a resting place founded way back in 1840 by Texas pioneers Charles Moores and his wife, Mary Harrison. Their chapel, named for her parents, was an all-faiths spot where…