Gwinnett: A Great Investment

Gwinnett: A Great Investment. . [Left panel] , After the Civil War, railroads came to Gwinnett County. New cities emerged along the rails, including Buford, Duluth, Norcross, and Suwanee. Confederate veteran Bonaparte Allen moved to Buford and opened a tannery that became world famous for its shoes, saddles, and horse collars. During the difficult 1930s, people called Buford the "Depression-Proof City.", Cotton was the chief cash crop in Gwinnett County from the 1800s to the 1920s. Following World War II, many farmers turned to dairy and poultry production. As metro Atlanta grew, Gwinnett farmland soon became residential subdivisions for suburban commuters., [Captions (clockwise from top left)] , . Buford was once called The Leather City because of Bona Allen's Tannery which was the largest in the world at one point. Even during the Depression, the Allens employed more than 2,200 people. Courtesy of the Gwinnett Historical Society , . Plessy Jones looks over his steam-powered sorghum mill in 1912. In addition to larger cotton mills, small grist mills were an important part of early economy. Source: Gwinnett Historical Society , . Workers unload bales of cotton at a cotton gin and warehouse. Farmers grew cotton because it was in high demand, grew well in the South, and didn't spoil. Source: Georgia Archives, [Right panel] , By 1965, Interstate 85 connected Atlanta to South Carolina through Gwinnett. Low land prices brought in warehouses and distribution centers along the corridor. In the early 1970s, Gwinnett made headlines as the home of a Western Electric plant and laboratory that became the world's largest maker of copper cable for the telephone industry. A growing population, great quality of life, and business-friendly government drew many more companies, including dozens of international businesses attracted by Gwinnett's diverse workforce., [Captions (top to bottom)] , . A group of citizens gather around what was said to be the first telephone in Lawrenceville between 1880 and 1900. Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, GWN239 , . 1937 Advertisement from Bona Allen Tannery showcases the World's Largest Shoe on Wheels – a successful publicity tool that appeared in parades and shows. Source: Gwinnett Historical Society , . Gwinnett farmers grew their small operations of subsistence-level row crops into a profitable poultry industry in just a few years. By 1957, Georgia was the nation's leading producer of poultry. Source: Gwinnett Historical Society , . 1938 Wille and Lula Benefield stand with their son, J.W., in their downtown Dacula grocery store. Source: Gwinnett Historical Society